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© 2015 Tom Cronin

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be

reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or

mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by

any information or retrieval, without prior permission in

writing from the publisher. Under the Australian

Copyright Act 1968, a maximum of one chapter or 10

percent of the book, whichever is greater, may be

photocopied by any educational institution for its

educational purposes provided that the education

institution has given a remuneration notice to Copyright

Agency Limited (CAL) under the Act.

First published in 2015 by The Stillness Project

33 Hall St

Bondi NSW 2026

Editing Miriam Sanua

Photography Tessa Tran

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DISCLAIMER

The content of this book is to serve as a guide to assist

in the relief from anxiety and panic attacks. The author

of this book is not a medical practitioner and is not

qualified to offer medical advice. This book is a

collection of steps the author embraced to overcome

anxiety and panic attacks. You should carry out your

own research and/or seek your own medical advice

before acting or relying on any of the information

displayed in this book. The author, Tom Cronin, and his

related entities, shall not be liable for any damage,

sickness or ill–health that may arise out of your reliance

on the content of this book. You accept sole

responsibility of the outcomes if you choose to embrace

or use these ideas, concepts or steps within the content

of this book.

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Introduction 6

Chapter 1 What Causes Anxiety? 20

Chapter 2 Keep Calm with Meditation 27

Chapter 3 Stretch and Soothe 39

Chapter 4 Work Out to Wind Down 50

Chapter 5 Technology Shutdown 56

Chapter 6 Body Massage & Bath 63

Chapter 7 Bed Time Stories 67

Chapter 8 Lullaby Nightcap 72

Chapter 9 Super Supplements 76

Chapter 10 Things to Avoid 83

Chapter 11 Mindfulness 91

Chapter 12 Nourish and Nurture 97

Conclusion a Calm Life 104

About the author 108

Acknowledgements 110

Personal Message from Tom 112

Path to Peace 114

Spirit and Soul 114

Faster Deeper Sleep 114

Insights Book 114

Faster Deeper Calm

Table of Contents

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Introduction

“I promise you nothing is as chaotic as it

seems. Nothing is worth diminishing your

health. Nothing is worth poisoning yourself

into stress, anxiety and fear.”

― Steve Maraboli

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Y ou are probably reading this because you have

experienced the crushing feeling of anxiety or

panic attacks. No doubt you are all too familiar with the

overwhelming feeling of dread, nausea and loathing. It

is difficult for those who have not ever felt anxiety or

panic to fully grasp the sensation of the debilitating fear

that sweeps through your body. But for those of us that

have, you are not alone. Anxiety and panic attacks affect

many people‟s lives. In fact you have something in

common with nearly a third of the population!

The Anxiety and Depression Association of

America states that anxiety disorders cost the US more

than $42 billion a year. In Australia it is estimated by

Beyond Blue, that 1 in 3 women, and 1 in 4 men will

suffer anxiety. In the United States, anxiety disorders

are the most common of all mental health disorders. So

as you can see, you are not alone in experiencing anxiety

or panic.

As common as anxiety is, it doesn‟t mean you

don‟t feel lonely going through it. I was just like

thousands of others who have suffered with anxiety - I

kept it to myself. There is a great deal of stigma attached

to anxiety, and for this reason the majority of people

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don‟t share their experience with it. For the many years I

suffered anxiety, I didn‟t dare tell anyone for fear of

being judged. Interestingly, when I started talking about

it publicly, people approached me and felt comfortable

enough to share their experience of suffering with

anxiety as well. It‟s time we release the stigma

associated with anxiety, and bring this out in the open.

This is how change is inspired. The first step in the

process is to acknowledge that it‟s there. This is the key

to healing.

Some people can be experiencing anxiety

without even knowing they have it. I was one of those

people. I had no idea what a panic attack was. All I

knew was that I would feel waves of dread and nausea,

be short of breath, and experience tingling skin. I wanted

to withdraw and hide away from the world, and the

anxiety zapped my confidence. It wasn‟t until I was

diagnosed and had a name given to this condition did I

truly understand it. For that reason I have outlined some

of the symptoms of anxiety and panic:

Feelings of panic, fear or uneasiness

Poor sleep or insomnia

Fidgety, or unable to sit still

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Heart palpitations

Tingling in the hands and body

Nausea

Dizziness

Short of breath

Dry mouth

Hot flushes or chills

A common belief for those who are finally

diagnosed is they believe they are destined for a life of

anxiety. Well I have some very good news for you! You

can overcome anxiety and panic, and experience a calm

and peaceful life in a very short period of time. YES!!

It‟s true.

How do I know?

Not only did these methods mentioned here in

this book cure my anxiety and panic – they have cured

hundreds of students as well. This book is a simple,

practical guide sharing a holistic approach to living

calmly. Within this book is the key to a life without

panic and anxiety. It‟s important to understand that we

aren‟t curing anxiety and panic in this book – we are

restoring balance to your mind and body. When mind

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and body are balanced, the imbalance of anxiety and

panic will dissolve.

I personally battled severe anxiety and

eventually panic attacks for many years. At the time I

was working in a high–pressure job as a bond broker.

Each day I traded millions and sometimes billions of

dollars in swaps and bonds on global markets. Trading

was fast and furious!

I worked for the world‟s largest interdealer

company called ICAP. The job involved split–second

decision making that if wrong, could cost the trader

millions of dollars. I was on a trading floor of over 100

people, 90% men, yelling and screaming to buy and sell

bonds, swaps, bills or currencies. By day‟s end, my

mind would be racing at a million miles an hour. My

nervous system was frazzled and my body hyper–

stimulated. When trading day came to a close, night

after night we hit the bars and clubs until the early hours

of the morning – celebrating our successes or drowning

out our failures. Let‟s just say, I became super–stressed,

and the symptoms of imbalance started to show.

It began with insomnia at night, feeling restless

during the day, with some mild anxiety. Most nights it

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took me one to two hours to fall asleep. I would

periodically wake up around 2 or 3am most nights and

struggle to go back to sleep. Little did I realise the

impact this was having on me. As time went by, my

emotional and mental state started to deteriorate. I was

constantly fidgeting, and found it hard to sit still. Little

things like doors slamming, or a sudden surprise would

make me jump a foot high.

Eventually waves of dread, loathing and fear

began to consume me. I had no idea what it was other

than the fact my mouth was dry, I was nauseous, tingly,

had a knot in my stomach, and would curl up in a ball on

my bed or the floor waiting for it to pass. Sometimes

episodes lasted a few seconds or minutes, other times it

would be with me for hours.

This continued on for a few years without my

seeking any professional help to resolve the issue. I

would wait for the dreadful experience to pass, then get

back to doing more of the same as if nothing had

happened. The attacks would come at random times;

either at my parents‟ farm, on holidays, or sitting on a

plane. Episodes began to increase, becoming frequently

more common in the mornings when I woke up.

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Eventually attacks came with greater intensity and

regularity every single morning before work. This wave

of fear would sweep over me while I was lying in bed.

The idea of getting out of bed, leaving the house and

going to work on the trading floor was excruciatingly

fearful. Still, I climbed out of bed and pushed myself

through it.

That was until one day. One day something happened

that changed everything. I call it my bifurcation point.

This is an engineering term where something either

breaks down, or evolves to a new level. I had arrived at

a juncture in my life. What was about to happen next

was the most significant moment of my life.

That day was in February 1996. I woke to a

balmy summer‟s morning. The air was warm and thick

with moisture. I felt clammy, hot with pins–and–needles

tingling all over. The anxiety that I woke to was stronger

than usual – stronger than I had ever felt before. I

crawled out of bed, made my way to the bathroom, and

while brushing my teeth, I recalled that I had a huge

client lunch that day with 5 traders from a large foreign

investment bank. I thought to myself in that moment,

“How will I get through that lunch without one of those

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waves of panic?” Then it hit me! A tsunami of fear and

dread washed through my entire body. My vision went

blurry. I couldn‟t breathe. My body went cold, and I

began to sweat. I felt weak and needed to vomit. I

couldn‟t stand up and collapsed onto the cold hard tiles

of the bathroom floor. Was I dying? There was a weird

sensation, part of me afraid I was dying, and part of me

hoping anything would happen to stop this unbearable

experience. A desperate plea welled up from deep inside

– please, let me die right here and now. I couldn‟t take it

anymore.

Well, I didn‟t die. Although I didn‟t make it to

the client lunch that day either. In fact I didn‟t make it to

work for a while after that day. With some help, I

managed to get to a doctor that morning. The doctor told

me that I was experiencing panic attacks and having a

nervous breakdown and that he would send me to a very

experienced psychiatrist that day. What? Me?? Nervous

breakdown? ?? I couldn‟t believe it. This sent me down

deeper into a spiral. I remember leaving his clinic that

hot summer morning, and walked into a side lane in

Bondi. I sat at the kerb of the street, put my head in my

hands and cried for about 30 minutes. A mad–man,

babbling incoherently and uncontrollably in the street,

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would be an apt description of how I felt and how I must

have looked to passers–by.

The leading psychiatrist in Sydney suggested I

take anti–depressants called Zoloft. After the second

session he said I had a stressful nature and increased my

dosage. After my third session with this gentleman – his

room filled with plaques and certificates of

accreditation, I decided not to go back. I felt deep down,

maybe at a soul level, that this was not the path for me. I

felt there had to be another way other than being told my

nature is stressful and I need drugs to exist! There HAD

to be another way.

Einstein once said that insanity was “doing the

same thing over and over again and expecting different

results.” Well that‟s what I was starting to

experience…insanity! I realised it was time to live my

life differently. I had to change my paradigm. I couldn‟t

keep living like I was and expect anything to change.

With a series of adjustments to my lifestyle, very

quickly amazing results began to appear.

After a few weeks of embracing these changes,

the anxiety and panic attacks would fade away. It was

incredible! I felt calm, restful, happy and healthy! The

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insomnia went away. The panic attacks abated, and the

dark depression lifted. After a few weeks I returned to

the very same job as a broker in finance. Sure there was

some stress and some anxiety at times, but it was a new

world for me. I was never going back to that way of

living again. My life continued to change and become

lighter, calmer and happier. I even continued on as a

broker doing the same job for the same company for

another 16 years! No drinking, no drugs, going to bed

early and very little stress. I became one of the leading

bond and swap brokers in the Australian finance market

and left at the height of my career as a healthy, happy

and successful person to create The Stillness Project.

It sounds too good to be true I know. Yet it is

true. Of course, it required some discipline, and there

were times when I fell down, times that challenged me,

but as time progressed, so too did my life. All it took to

correct the imbalance was following a few simple steps

for the anxiety and panic attacks to depart. It wasn‟t the

job itself that was stressful, it was decisions that I was

making while I was in the job that were leading to a

stress response in my body.

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Now I live an incredibly peaceful, vibrant and

dynamic life. I travel the world as a keynote speaker.

Can you imagine; from panic attacks and agoraphobia,

unable to leave my house, to travelling the world and

speaking on stage in front of 400–500 people! I host

retreats, run meditation workshops, and provide

corporate coaching programs. All of this can be put

down to the steps outlined through the following pages.

You too can experience a shift in your life if you follow

these few simple recommendations outlined in this

book.

In the chapters ahead, you will explore the

changes I made in my life that led me to completely cure

myself of anxiety and panic attacks. Many of these steps

have been supported by scientific research and will lead

you to a life that is confident, vibrant, calm and happy.

Of course, embracing all of these in one go is near

impossible. Let‟s face it, we are creatures of habit, and I

understand how challenging it is for us to embark on a

path of change. With this, I will outline many things that

you can do to remove your anxiety and panic. You may

take up one or two of them, and over time you may

embrace them all. Either way, the guidelines are here for

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you to refer back to whenever you feel compelled and

ready.

In this book you will explore:

Deep Calm, using meditation to calm that

monkey mind and restore balance to the nervous

system

Stretch and Soothe, how yoga and stretching

will calm your nervous system and release daily

tension

Work Out And Wind Down, how physical

exercise will burn up excess adrenalin and assist

with calming the body

Technology Shutdown, why turning off your

computers, phones, TV‟s and games by 10pm

will help calm the mind and body

Body Massage and Bath, how to prepare for

bed with this self massage and bath sequence

Bed Time Stories, why reading positive

uplifting books before bed are great for the mind

Lullaby Nightcap, an ancient bedtime drink

formula that is sure to put you to sleep and calm

the nerves

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Super Supplements, why these supplements

will be key to freedom from anxiety

Things To Avoid, why certain things in our

diets are causing havoc on our body and mind

Mindfulness, how to master your mind and

reshape the way you think

Nourish And Nurture, why keeping your body

nourished and satiated will help prevent anxiety

As you already know, anxiety is an incredibly

debilitating experience. It can affect every area of your

life; from your career, relationships, finances, health and

much more. Many people feel there is no hope, that they

are sentenced to a life of experiencing anxiety, and “it‟s

just the way they are.”

The wonderful news is that you‟re here now

reading this, which would mean that you are ready to do

something for yourself. You are now ready to enjoy a

life without anxiety, without panic, and where you move

through each day fearlessly and calmly.

The biggest challenge you will face is embracing

change. Know that you are already leaping over that

hurdle by the mere fact that you are reading this book.

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You are saying to yourself: “I am ready for change, and

I know I can do this.”

AND YOU WILL!

Anxiety is the cue you needed to make

adjustments in your daily habits, and this book is a

simple no–frills guide to the transformation that will

empower you to live a calm life.

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CHAPTER 1

What Causes Anxiety?

“If you want to conquer the anxiety of life,

live in the moment, live in the breath.”

― Amita Ray

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T he interesting thing about a calm life is that we

can‟t make ourselves live calmly. We can‟t force

it or talk our body into it. Calmness is a spontaneous

result of your body effortlessly doing what it does when

it is restored to balance. This effortless way of living

will occur when the mind is calm, the nervous system is

relaxed and the body is healthy. The guidelines ahead

will help you achieve that state of being.

Most people are treating or masking anxiety with

tablets while ignoring the state of the mind, body or

lifestyle. Anxiety and panic attacks are the symptom,

and treating the symptom is not the answer. This book is

about going to the cause. When we treat the cause, the

symptoms will naturally fall away. What needs to be

addressed is why the nervous system, the mind and body

are not functioning calmly.

The primary cause of anxiety and panic attacks is

stress. The World Health Organisation says stress is an

epidemic of the 21st century. Dr Bruce Lipton of

Stanford University Medical School, wrote in a paper in

1998 that stress is the cause of 95% of all sickness.

Today‟s world is so frenetic and hectic that our mind

and body are struggling to cope with these demands. To

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get through the busy–ness of each day, our body has to

pump us with activity enhancing biochemicals like

adrenalin, cortisol, and norepinephrine. These

biochemicals are usually released into our system under

fight–or–flight circumstances, like running from a sabre

tooth tiger or fighting a marauding tribe. However in

today‟s world, the same result in our body can be caused

by running late for a meeting, deadlines at work,

skipping meals, going through a relationship break–up,

working out too hard, or we simply stay up too late

consistently tapped in to technology.

To cope with these demands, our body has to

release these biochemicals so that it can stay alert and

safe. The design of the body, although complex with its

trillions of cells and neural pathways, is also very

simple. It‟s either in fight/flight response or rest and

digest response. Rest and digest is when the body

restores balance and repairs from the intense demands

that have been placed upon it. This is known as the

sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic

nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system mode

is a state our body goes into when it is in a life–

threatening situation. This is a function designed for

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self–preservation – one of our inbuilt survival

mechanisms.

The parasympathetic nervous system is when the

body winds down and restores balance. In the past and

in ancient times, we would spend a lot more time sitting

around in nature resting during the day. Come nightfall,

most tribal cultures would go to sleep and rest through

the night. This provided ample time for the body to

operate in parasympathetic nervous system mode

restoring balance. In today‟s world however, we are

spending less time in this restful state, and increasing the

level of stimulation in our lives.

Adding to these huge demands placed on our

body is an increase in mental stimulation. Never before

have we had to process as much information as we do

today. From the moment we wake up to the moment we

go to bed at night, we are consuming data through smart

phones, tablets, computers, TV, and newspapers. We‟ve

only had access to smartphones since 2007, which isn‟t

long for our minds and nervous systems to be exposed to

a whole new phenomenon of processing information

available wherever we go. Facebook, Twitter,

Instagram, emails, sms, Whatsapp, Voxer, newsfeeds,

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after newsfeeds, are continuously stimulating our minds

each and every day now. You only have to watch people

on trains, in parks, on beaches, even walking down the

street these days, to see how addicted we have become

to our smartphones.

We are entering into a whole new realm of

mental over–stimulation, and the consequences are

minds that simply don‟t know how to stop or switch off.

Because of this, anxiety is at an all–time high as

reported by the National Institute of Mental Health, with

over 40 million Americans alone being affected by it.

Anxiety and panic is a function of the body

operating in fight/flight mode when there is no need for

the body to be in this state. Fight/flight is a relevant

function for life–threatening situations; however running

late for a meeting, breaking up with a partner, or dealing

with deadlines for work doesn‟t warrant that level of

fear in the body.

When the body is in the fear state, incredible things

begin to occur. Some of the changes that happen in the

body during fight/flight are:

The blood starts to thicken to prevent it gushing out

if you are stabbed or bitten

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Your breathing becomes fast and shallow to absorb

more oxygen into your body

Your body will store fat cells in case you are unable

to eat food for a period of time

Your body releases cortisol, adrenalin and

norapenephrine to enable you to move quickly

Blood sugar levels increase to fuel your body for fast

activity

You reduce biochemicals like melatonin; the

chemical that supports sleep, seratonin for

happiness, and oxytocin for love

Your digestive system shuts down to conserve fuel

These bodily responses are all perfectly designed to

help you escape from danger, however this can also be

occurring in your body when you are caught in a traffic

jam and running late for work. When we have extended

periods of fight/flight, this can eventually develop into

anxiety and panic attacks.

Our body starts to misinterpret circumstances

and we experience these symptoms every day. Small

things like going to a client lunch, getting a gas bill,

being in a shopping mall, or even a family dinner can

trigger symptoms.

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Technology isn‟t going to go away. The pace of

life isn‟t going to slow down. Our lives aren‟t going to

return back to roaming the open plains and resting most

of the day and night. We can however, function

successfully, calmly and without anxiety and panic. And

it‟s going to require some changes. It is going to require

a restructuring of our day. Experiencing anxiety is a

symptom, it‟s not the cause.

The cause is what we are addressing here in this

guidebook. You can take all the pills in the world, but if

your nervous system is hyper–stimulated, your body

stored with pent–up energy from stress, and your mind

like a crazy monkey jumping from branch to branch,

then the cause of the anxiety will remain.

So this guidebook is about getting to the source

of the problem and correcting the imbalance. I went

from extreme panic attacks to living a dynamic,

successful and calm life by making a few changes to my

day. Like I said, the steps ahead may seem challenging

to implement all in one go. As you implement them,

notice how you feel. Perhaps you might like to add one

change per week, and build it up by adding more stages

to your life when you feel comfortable. Or if you are

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ready and find embracing change easily, then try

incorporating all the changes at once. It‟s up to you. See

how you go. If you need to do it bit by bit – that‟s fine.

Whatever level of commitment you take, and

when you are able to follow these guidelines, you will

notice that the anxiety and panic will fade away out of

your life. You will discover a confidence and vibrancy

to life. All those barriers you put up out of fear will

come down. You will live with an exciting fearlessness

that will open up so many amazing experiences. There is

nothing in this life that you can‟t handle. An

empowered, courageous and flowing life is the life you

are born to live.

So let‟s get to it and begin your journey into

living magnificently, calmly and fearlessly!

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CHAPTER 2

Deep Calm with Meditation

“Our anxiety does not come from

thinking about the future, but from

wanting to control it.”

― Kahlil Gibran

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T he first step to living calmly and peacefully in life

is meditating. I tried many things to eradicate

anxiety and panic attacks, however it wasn‟t until I

learnt to meditate, and started meditating twice a day,

did any real deep change occur. It is for this reason I

have meditation as the first step to your life of freedom

from anxiety.

If your mind is running at a million miles an

hour, then your body is going to be hyper–stimulated.

The laws of thermo–dynamics state that as excitation

increases, so too does disorder. On the flip side, as

systems de–excite, then correspondingly, order

increases. Anxiety and panic is a result of disorder, and

for the anxiety to dissolve away, order is required. One

very effective way to return order back to your mind and

body is through experiencing the deep rest achieved in

meditation.

You‟re probably thinking, "Oh no, there‟s no way I

could meditate or still my mind…doesn‟t he know I

have anxiety?” Which is like saying: “Hey, I‟m not

going to the gym, I‟m far too unhealthy!”

It‟s ok though – I was exactly the same. I

thought there was no way I could meditate because my

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mind raced continuously. And yet within one week of

learning a particular style of meditation, I was already

noticing changes in my life! I believe learning this one

deep transcending style of meditation was the most

successful thing I ever did to cure myself of anxiety and

panic.

Meditation isn‟t something we do when we have

a calm mind – meditation leads to a calm mind. I am

starting with this as Step 1 for a specific reason. Einstein

once said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same

thinking we used when we created them.”

Our body is a print–out of our mind. Each day our minds

are analysing, processing and digesting copious amounts

of information. The level of data that our minds have to

absorb is increasing at an exponential rate. This is the

prime reason why anxiety is at an all–time high.

Never before have we faced the amount of

mental stimuli than we do today. It was only in 2007

that we had access to a world wide web of information

in the palm of our hand with the advent of the iPhone.

So wherever we went, the information load went with

us. We became addicted, and now wherever we go, on

buses, trains, between meetings, or just sitting in a park,

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we are drawn to and distracted by consuming

information from our smartphones.

Let‟s roll back time. We could go back 1000

years, 500 years, 100 years, or even 20 years ago. How

much information did people have to digest back then?

The Internet or mobile phones didn‟t even exist. You

were not contactable walking out the front door of your

house each morning, until you arrived at work or your

next point of call.

Yet today we fill in all those spaces in our day

with data. Our minds are like mice running the treadmill

scurrying at a rapid pace. We have lost control of the

mind and we don‟t know how to slow it down. With the

mind active – the body is active, and this leads to

imbalance and stress. Mind and body work in tandem,

and in an interconnected framework and state of being.

One affects the other.

Meditation is the tool that will give you control

over that monkey–mind. When the mind becomes still,

your body, being a print–out of the mind, will also drop

into a deep state of rest. It has been proven that with

some meditation techniques, the level of metabolic rest

experienced was up to four times deeper than sleep. It is

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this level of rest that activates a powerful healing

process in the body. In this deep level of rest the body

restores balance and switches out of the sympathetic

nervous system into the parasympathetic nervous

system.

I have my own personal experiences to draw

upon and validate this as you‟ve heard, however I also

have numerous meditation students who have written to

me to share their life–changing experience with the

meditation they learnt with me and how it cured their

anxiety.

Here is one student who wrote to me after using my

meditation program:

“Hi Tom, I want to say a deeply heartfelt thank you for

the meditation journey. During the first days and

weeks I felt a strong difference in daily life– I felt more

at peace and even my anxiety was almost gone. The 20

minutes are peaceful and beautiful and they help me to

calm down and I feel less energy rushes and anxiety.

Thank you so much!” Sarah

I also received an email from Clare, a mother who had

been suffering post–natal depression and anxiety for 2

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years, and she had cured herself after just a couple of

months meditating twice a day. As she says:

“I purchased the 21 Steps To Faster Deeper

Bliss program a couple of months ago and have been

practising meditation twice daily ever since. I am SO

THRILLED with the difference it has made to me after

suffering from post–natal depression and anxiety for

the past two years. I am finally enjoying life again.”

Clare

Then finally this from Brigette. She had been

experiencing extreme panic attacks that were starting to

seriously affect her work as a nurse. She was at a

complete loss and had nowhere to go. This is what she

wrote after completing my meditation course:

“Prior to attending the meditation course with

Tom, I was searching for anything that would cure my

anxiety. I just wanted to enjoy all the beautiful things

in life but felt so consumed by anxiety that I became

too scared to engage with new people or activities. Tom

showed me that there was no need to live in fear. With

the meditation and with Tom’s ongoing guidance and

support, I am now experiencing a life full of light and

harmony. Meditation is for everyone and anyone who

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wants to bring more love and light in their lives, who

want to be able to encounter life pressures with ease.”

Meditation played such a powerful role in

healing me from anxiety and panic attacks that I became

inspired to study to become a meditation teacher, and

pass this on to other people. I studied in India, Bali and

Australia. During my studies, I researched the effects of

meditation on anxiety and panic and found some

incredible results.

In 2014, Dr Madhav Goyal M.D., M.P.H., from

John Hopkins University School of Medicine,

researched the effects of deep relaxation therapies or

meditation on patients suffering with anxiety and panic.

The results were published online in Jan 6, 2014 in

JAMA Internal Medicine, and indicated that patients

saw a reduction in their symptoms while they practiced

meditation.

Goyal said: “In our study, meditation appeared to

provide as much relief from anxiety and depression

symptoms as what other studies have found from anti–

depressants.”

So now we have established how important

meditation is, the next step is to look into how we

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35

meditate. The first step to clarify here is that meditation

is not some woo–woo religious or spiritual practice. You

don‟t have to shave your head, join a religion, and wear

robes or bow down to a shrine. Meditation is a simple

exercise for your mind – just like going to the gym, or

what a jog is for your body.

There are many types of meditation techniques

from breathing, chanting, contemplation, and then the

deeper transcending style meditations. I have been using

deeper style transcending techniques for 20 years, and

found these to be the most effective in helping cure

anxiety and panic. In my travels I have met many people

who have told me they tried meditation on their own and

couldn‟t seem to get the results they were looking for.

Learning to meditate is an important step in your

journey to living a peaceful, restful, happy life. Ideally I

recommend learning the deeper transcending style

meditations using a mantra or sound through a course

with a trained meditation teacher.

If you‟d like to find out more about where or

how you can learn the deeper transcending styles of

meditation, you can head to the back of this book and

watch the three free videos where you will learn more

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36

about it. I also hold weekend courses in Sydney

Australia each month.

If you‟d like to try something really simple though to get

started here are some tips:

1. Sit comfortably upright in chair.

2. Close your eyes and take three deep breaths.

3. Allow your breath to flow naturally, not forced –

just your effortless breath.

4. Draw your attention to the air as it moves through

your nostrils, and slightly cools the skin around the

rim of the nostrils.

5. Keep your attention there for 5–10 minutes. The

mind will wander and drift away, but keep

bringing it back to this single point.

6. After your time is up, just sit for a few moments

and then slowly open your eyes.

This is a very simple meditation exercise that will

help calm the mind. You may find this meditation a bit

challenging as it is not the nature of the mind to be still

and focus on one thing. This is why the transcending

meditations with a mantra are deeper and easier to get

into. However, it is still very beneficial for you to use

this if you‟d like to.

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Once you learn to meditate, it is recommended you

meditate twice a day: once in the morning before

breakfast, and once in the afternoon or early evening

before dinner. Ideally meditate for 15 to 20 minutes each

time.

It‟s important to remember that meditation is as

much a prevention as it is a cure. I don‟t experience any

anxiety or panic in my life now, yet I still meditate twice

a day. Meditation takes a high priority in my life

because it makes the rest of my day so much better.

Now you may be saying to yourself right now,

“There‟s no way I could find the time to fit that in my

day!” Well I understand. I was the same. But that‟s why

I developed my 72/20 method. I realised that each day

has 72 twenty–minute segments to it. Each of those 72

segments are allocated to certain activities like eating,

working, sleeping and playing to create a balanced

fulfilling life. However my 72 segments weren‟t

creating a fulfilling life. In fact the 72 twenty–minute

segments were actually leading to a life of chaos, stress

and panic. Which is why I needed to do something

different with some of those segments. I decided that

each day I would set aside just 2 of those segments to

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meditate, which allowed me to still have another 70 for

all the other activities. I found that not only did the

anxiety and panic go away, but in addition I actually

became more productive, more energised, less stressed

and more successful.

This is the key to experiencing a life without

anxiety. Learn to meditate and set aside 2 segments of

20 minutes each day to meditate. Try this for 21 days

and see how you feel at the end. That‟s just three weeks

of research to discover how it works for you. Like I said,

meditation played the biggest role in my living a calm

life, and that‟s why I put it here as the number 1 step.

However, we are taking a holistic approach here,

and I don‟t believe there is one quick fix. We have some

more recommendations to go through that will really

help you not only eradicate anxiety and panic, but take

your entire life to amazingness! So let‟s get going to the

next recommendation.

Deep Calm with Meditation

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CHAPTER 3

Stretch and Soothe

"Worrying is carrying tomorrow‟s load

with today‟s strength– carrying two

days at once. It is moving into

tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying

doesn‟t empty tomorrow of its sorrow,

it empties today of its strength."

― Corrie ten Boom

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I n today‟s world, we have become very sedentary

beings. That is, we engage in very little movement.

We lie in bed all night, then we sit in a chair all day, we

go home and sit on the sofa, and go back to lying in bed

all night. Our bodies have a very limited range of

movement from lying down, sitting upright and walking.

For most of us there isn‟t a lot of variety in the way our

bodies move. As a result we develop blocked points in

our body, which is like junk that fills a river and blocks

the flow.

Yoga and stretching is a way for you to unblock

your body and open it up so that it is supple, lithe and

flowing with good healthy energy. We tend to have tight

shoulders from hunching over computers, tight neck and

back from built up stress, locked hips and shortened

hamstrings from sitting all day. This tightness in the

body will play a big part in your inability to feel calm.

When your body is soft and relaxed, you reverse the

symptoms of fight/flight and dissolve the anxiety.

Scientific studies have proven that yoga and

stretching greatly assist in the reduction of anxiety and

panic attacks. Researchers in Germany performed a

study on 34 women suffering from anxiety, and had

Stretch and Soothe

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41

them perform a yoga class twice a week for two months.

The result of the study was that the participants had a

significant reduction in perceived levels of anxiety.

Embracing yoga and stretching in your day is

simple and doesn‟t have to take long. I know some

people who do 6 yoga classes a week at a yoga centre,

and I also know people who simply do some stretches a

few minutes a day at home. The choice is yours, so do

your own research as to what works for you.

The key to yoga and stretching is to bring your

mind to your breath during each pose. It is pointless

being able to touch your toes when you are thinking

about all the work you have to do, or whether your

finances are going to be ok. Commit this time to rest and

repair. Surrender the need to think about anything else

other than being here right now in your stretch. By

placing your awareness on the air moving through your

nostrils, you will experience a lot more benefit after

your stretch and feel a lot calmer.

If you‟d like to start out with a gentle stretch

each day I‟d recommend 5–10 minutes before your

morning meditation to unblock some of those stiff joints

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from your night in bed, then 5–10 minutes at night time

before bed.

Your morning session would be a more

invigorating series of stretches, like the sun salutation

that enlivens the body with energy. Each stretch would

be a shorter movement – held for only one or two

breaths before moving into the next pose.

If you‟d like to stretch outdoors in the park, by

the beach or on your deck, and facing the sunrise, you

will feel clearer, awake and more energised very shortly.

You can find my 10–minute morning yoga

sequence by going to www.stillnessproject.com/ store.

This is a vinyasa flow sequence that warms up the body,

tones and stretches all in one. You can do it anywhere as

long as you have a flat surface.

As for your evening session, I would recommend

some gentle stretches before bed for 5–10 minutes. This

is what‟s called yin yoga. These gentle, calmer series of

stretches are held for longer periods of time, again with

your focus being on your breath as you release the

tension from the day. Try turning off all the lights, and

doing it in the dark or with a candle on your lounge

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43

room floor. If you‟d like to, play some soft peaceful

music while you do this.

Here are 6 poses that will help soothe your mind and

body and lead to a relaxing deep sleep.

1. Butterfly Pose:

Sitting on the floor bring your two soles of your feet

together with knees out wide. Clasp your feet with your

two hands and gently lean forward opening up your

groin. If you‟d like to sit on a blanket to elevate your

body then you can do so. Take deep long breaths. As

you breathe out, slowly lower further into the stretch.

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2. Head to knee pose:

Again remaining seated on the floor, tuck your left foot

into the groin and straighten your right leg. As you

breathe out, reach forward with your two hands leaning

down over your right leg and holding onto the foot. If

you are unable to reach the foot, then use a belt or strap

to wrap it around your foot and hold the strap. As you

release your breath, slowly lower forward each time.

Then swap legs and work the other side.

Stretch and Soothe

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3. Wide Angle Seated Forward Bend:

Sitting on the floor, extend your legs out wide into a „V‟

in front of you. Support yourself by placing your hands

behind your back as you do this. When you are

comfortable, lean forward with your arms extended out

in front of you. Take deep breaths and slowly lower

yourself down.

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4. Seated Forward Bend:

Sitting on the floor, bring your legs directly out in front

of you. Keeping spine upright, take a deep breath in and

slowly on the out breath, lower your body forward and

reach out to hold your feet with your hands. If you are

unable to hold your feet you may use a strap or a belt.

Lower your head down into your legs and slow your

breath down.

Stretch and Soothe

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5. Reclined Twist:

Lying on your back, raise your knees with your shins

parallel to the floor. Place your arms out wide and drop

your knees to your right, while twisting your head to the

left. When you have held this pose for a few minutes,

change sides.

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6. Legs Up The Wall Pose:

Move close to a blank wall, lying on your back and

getting your bottom as close to the wall as possible.

Then raise your legs up the wall and remain still for up

to 5 minutes.

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These poses are gentle and soothing, designed to

calm your nervous system. If you‟d like to take your

yoga to the next level, then look up your local yoga

centre online and search for their yin yoga classes. If

they aren‟t currently offering yin yoga, ask if they would

consider putting some yin classes on. Yin yoga is

becoming more popular as our society becomes more

stressed and anxious.

Ok, so we have meditated and we have stretched,

now it‟s time to get things moving and energised!

Sounds like the complete opposite to what we have just

been going through, and in a way, it actually is. Let‟s

move on to the next step where we are going to burn off

some excess built up energy!

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CHAPTER 4

Work Out to Wind Down

“We only live a few conscious decades,

and we fret ourselves enough for several

lifetimes."

― Christopher Hitchens

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W e‟ve mentioned a lot about being still and

stretching – well now we are going to go to the

other end of the spectrum. It‟s time to get active! Like I

mentioned in the previous chapter, in today‟s world we

have come to live very sedentary lives: we go from bed

to work, then from work to home on the sofa and then

back to bed. Even getting to and from these places more

often than not involves sitting down and not moving on

public transport or in our cars.

This level of immobility is leading to pent–up

energy that has little to no release. With the increased

stress in our lives comes an increase in adrenalin and

cortisol in our body. A great way to release this buildup

of stress chemicals in our body is to exercise. Putting

your body through a healthy physical work–out is

beneficial not just for eliminating anxiety, but also on so

many other levels.

1. It burns up and removes toxins in the body

2. It reduces blood pressure

3. It builds the heart muscle

4. It strengthens the lungs

5. It develops muscle tissue

6. It alleviates stress

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7. It enhances moods

8. It boosts the immune system

Our bodies are a 200,000–year–old design that was

built for movement. We were made for moving across

plains and fields foraging for food. The immobile

lifestyle we live today has had an effect on our bodies,

and studies have shown that some exercise each day can

help alleviate anxiety.

Jasper Smits, PhD, Co–Director of the Anxiety

Research and Treatment Program at Southern Methodist

University in Dallas, wanted to test whether regular

workouts might help people prone to anxiety become

less likely to panic when they experience those fight–or–

flight sensations. They tested this idea using 60

volunteers with sensitivity to anxiety. Subjects who

participated in a two–week exercise program showed

significant improvements in anxiety sensitivity

compared with a control group (Depression and

Anxiety, 2008). The findings suggest that physical

exercise could help to ward off panic attacks.

Some simple exercise routines can be a brisk walk

outdoors, swimming, bike riding, or if you are confined

to indoors due to cold or wet weather, try squats,

Work Out to Wind Down

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pushups, dips on the back of the chair, and lunges.

Another option is to set up a chin–up bar in your door

jam and do some chin–ups every few days. If you find

the chin–ups too challenging, then place a chair under

your feet and support yourself while you perform them.

These are all simple exercises that don‟t require

personal trainers, gyms or fancy expensive equipment. If

you‟d like to take it a bit further you can join a gym and

seek professional help with a personal trainer.

Either way, setting aside a period of time each day

or every second day for some form of physical exercise

will do wonders for your sleep. This doesn‟t include

running for a bus when you are late for work. (This is

hyper stimulation and adding stress to your system.)

What we are talking about here is a set period of time

put aside in your day to burn up some of that excess

nervous tension, cortisol and adrenalin that causes

anxiety.

So give it a try, and set yourself a schedule each

week. It doesn‟t have to be hours of exercise; it can be

as much as 20 minutes in the morning or afternoon. One

thing to remember, try to avoid exercising late at night.

After dinner the body is digesting and then preparing for

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54

bed. So exercising at night will stimulate your body and

can affect your sleep cycle.

The ideal time for exercise would be in the

morning when you have lots of energy, or early evening

before dinner. If you are going to exercise first thing in

the morning, be sure to have some fluids and possibly a

small snack. Otherwise the body will be forced to

exercise when it is thirsty and hungry, which confuses

the body, which may interpret this as a stressful

situation. So upon waking have a large glass of warm

water (ideally with a dash of apple cider vinegar or a

squeeze of lemon or lime in it), and a small snack of

fruit, avocado, or a boiled egg. This will provide the

body with some fuel for your workout, and prevent the

body from panicking due to being hungry.

So far we have talked about meditation,

stretching and exercise, and I bet you‟re wondering

„where am I going to find the time for all this?‟ Well I‟m

sure you have a busy life just like I do, and I know how

challenging it may be for you to find the time to add

these recommendations to your day. Here‟s the

interesting thing though; by changing your routine just

slightly (and when I say slightly, these previous

Work Out to Wind Down

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55

recommendations could be as little as 20 to 30 minutes

of your time), and adding just a little bit more into your

day –– morning or evening; you will start sleeping

better, have less to no anxiety, more energy, and you‟ll

be a lot more productive. This next step will help you a

lot with finding more time in your day! Let‟s face it, we

all have 24 hours in our day – it‟s what we do with that

24 hours that counts. Let‟s move on to the next step and

see how effectively we can make our day.

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CHAPTER 5

Technology Shutdown

“I have always felt that fear possesses such

great power, enough to paralyze and quake an

individual. Pondering this, I realised that the

source of fear‟s power comes from within me.

So I ask myself, does that not make me the

powerful one?"

― Richard E. Goodrich

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57

I f you are a Facebook addict or love staying up late

at night playing computer games, there is a good

chance you may not like this step. It‟s time to put a

curfew on technology in the home, and guess what, it

starts at 10pm! Hey, I‟m being kind – ideally it would be

best if it was 9.30pm!

It has been scientifically proven that if we go to

sleep for 8 hours between 10pm and 6am we have more

energy and feel more rested than if we had 8 hours sleep

from 1am to 9am. Why is this? Circadian rhythms.

Circadian rhythms are explained by Wikipedia to be:

“Physical, mental and behavioural changes

that follow a roughly 24–hour cycle, responding

primarily to light and darkness in an organism's

environment. They are found in most living things,

including animals, plants and many tiny microbes.”

Each day has a rhythm, which is like an energy

flow. It starts just before sunrise with a burst of energy

as life starts to stir. Animals and birds are waking up,

the sun is about to rise, and dawn appears. This is a

wonderful time of the day to rise up and get moving.

Energy flows as the day progresses. By around 2 or 3pm

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58

the day starts to slow down. You will find that you may

feel sluggish, heavy or tired around this time of the day.

It‟s the time where office workers all head down to the

coffee carts to get some caffeine and sugar to lift their

energy levels. In some countries it‟s when they actually

take a rest and replenish their energy levels in the form

of a siesta.

Then between 4pm to 8pm a new burst of energy

will come through and you will feel the fatigue pass

away. This is a time for exercise and eating dinner. Our

digestion is strong, our body is enlivened and we are

wide awake.

As the sun sets and the night is drawing upon us,

our energy levels will start to drop off again around 9 or

10pm. This is the ideal time to go to bed. Our society

has changed dramatically in the last 10–20 years with

technological developments. Now we have a saturation

of information that keeps us constantly stimulated and

engaged with things like Facebook, emails, Twitter,

computer games and chat rooms.

Many of us have switched off to our body‟s

needs, and are ignoring the fatigue that is telling us to go

to sleep. Our minds are addicted to the quick fix of

Technology Shutdown

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59

information. This constant digestion of data habitually

stimulates our nervous systems and minds, leaving us in

a state of anxiety. Our minds and bodies aren‟t made for

that high level of stimulation. There is a correlation to

the huge increase in anxiety and panic, and the increased

usage of technology.

You will require a great deal of discipline, and if

you adhere to this routine of turning off all technology

(i.e. internet, TV, radio and music) by 10pm and going

to bed, you will notice a vast improvement in your sleep

patterns and correspondingly your level of calm. If you

are still awake much after 10.30pm, you will find you

move into the next phase of the cycle and experience

what people call „a second wind‟. The reason for this is

that you are again moving into another phase of the 24–

hour cycle, and surprisingly there is more energy in this

cycle again around 11pm–2am which will keep you

awake.

Your body loves routine. If you keep to the

routine of going to sleep around 10pm each night and

waking around 6am, you will find that your sleep

becomes regulated and consistent. Avoid sleeping in as

much as possible. Our bodies prefer to wake up as the

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60

sun rises. As much as this may seem like a real

challenge at first, once you establish a routine of going

to bed early and waking up early, you will sleep a lot

better, be calmer, and also feel a lot more energised

during the day. Like I mentioned, this will be a

challenge for many who have been pulled into the lure

of surfing the net all night long, or watching late night

movies and then sleeping in until 11am!

I used to stay up late partying and entertaining

clients. I would be awake in noisy stimulating

environments way past midnight – sometimes till 2 or

3am. I would have 3–4 hours‟ sleep then get up and go

to work again. This level of fatigue was one of the main

reasons for my anxiety and panic. When I made a

commitment to be in bed by 10pm most nights, a big

shift occurred in my life: I slept better, woke up feeling

refreshed, had more time to meditate and do yoga, the

anxiety dissolved and my overall life improved

dramatically.

Try this out for a few weeks, notice how you will

be sleeping a whole lot better and feeling much happier

and healthier in life. Be consistent with your daily cycle.

Go to bed around the same time each night, and notice

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61

how you fall asleep a lot more easily. The catch is, yes,

you will have to pull yourself away from those

Facebook feeds and switch off all technology by 10pm

at the latest.

If you do leave your phone on for your morning

alarm clock, then switch it to silent or airplane mode.

This is essential for a deep sleep where the repair to your

nervous system occurs. Those messages will be there for

you in the morning. Your high priority during the night

time is that you sleep well. You know what life is like

when you don‟t get enough sleep, right? Tired, stressed,

anxious, unhealthy...the list goes on. This is your life

and you are worthy of feeling great every day! Your

friends and colleagues will just have to understand that

you didn‟t need to respond to their message at 2.30am! I

understand how challenging that might be for many

people; even I feel compelled to answer just one more

email or post one more tweet, and I also know that if I

stick to my schedule, I feel great the next day!

Ok, so that was the part that most people won‟t

enjoy. This next step, however, is a lot more enjoyable.

Think of this next step as your reward for turning your

phone and computer off at 9.30pm! It‟s time to soak into

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a deep warm bath and pamper yourself! Let‟s check out

Step 5.

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CHAPTER 6

Body Massage & Bath

"Each moment of worry, anxiety or stress

represents lack of faith in miracles, for they

never cease."

― T.F. Hodge

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A dmittedly this may sound like a strange

combination, however it is a very with

lavender oil drops. This wonderfully relaxing

combination of massage sooths your nervous system,

and the lavender bath takes you into an even deeper

relaxation.

Ayurveda is an ancient science of the body and

life. In Ayurveda they use a process of self–massage

each day with sesame oil to calm the nervous system

and keep grounded. This is called „abhyanga‟. By

performing abhyanga just prior to a warm lavender bath

at night time, you will find that your whole body

becomes soft and relaxed before bed. This will be a very

powerful step in your calming process.

To perform abhyanga, ideally use a cold pressed

organic sesame oil. You can also try ordering abhyanga

massage oils online. Most supermarkets sell organic

cold pressed sesame oil these days.

Before you begin your massage start to fill your

bath with warm water. Add a few drops of

lavender oil into your water while it is filling up.

Some studies have been performed on the effect

of lavender oil for relaxation, and it has been

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65

proven to be beneficial. Professor Lewith, from

Southampton General Hospital, investigated the

effects of lavender aromatherapy on depressed

mood and anxiety in female patients being

treated with anxiety. The effects of aromatherapy

were measured using the Hamilton rating scale

for anxiety (HAMA). Lavender aroma

significantly decreased the mean scores of

HAMA, suggesting an effective means of

treating patients with anxiety.

Back to the abhyanga: Standing on an old towel in case

you spill some oil, pour small doses of oil into your

hand and start to massage each section of your body

while your bath is filling up. Work the oil over your

arms, legs, torso, neck, shoulders and face and scalp. As

you apply the oil, be sure to give your muscles and

joints a good thorough massage. Once you have covered

and massaged your body then it‟s time to soak in your

bath.

For best results, keep the overhead lights of your

bathroom turned off, and light a single candle to keep

the stimulus low. Remember, everything we do before

bed is designed to reduce stimulation of our nervous

Body Massage & Bath

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system and mind. This warm lavender bath and

abhyanga will sooth your muscles and nervous system.

What a great way to finish your day! By the time you

slide in between the sheets, you‟ll already be on your

way to a deep restorative sleep!

If you don‟t have a bath, then the oil massage and a

warm shower will also work. The hot water and steam

on your skin will help the softening effect of the oil on

your skin and nervous system.

Now if you can still keep your eyes open at this stage,

you may like to consider reading before lights out. This

takes us to the next step…Bed Time Stories!

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CHAPTER 7

Bed Time Stories

“There is a time for many words,

and there is also a time for sleep.”

― Homer

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B y the time you‟ve meditated, stretched, turned

off your internet and had your delicious massage

and bath, you may want to just slide into bed and roll

over into a deep sleep. However you may also feel like

reading a book to help your eyes and mind become

sleepier. Reading before sleep time can be quite

effective for helping you to drift off into deep sleep. I

read most nights before sleep, and I find after about 3

pages I‟m already nodding off to sleep!

One thing I need to mention here about reading

before bed, is that it‟s not recommended to read a scary

or action–packed novel that will have your body pulsing

with energy and excitement! Remember, this is about

reducing the level of stimulation in your mind and body.

So you will need to be selective about which books you

read.

Buddha once said: “The mind is everything.

What we think we become.” So where your mind goes

before bed is a very important way to end the day.

Choose books that will leave your mind with positive

impressions before it goes into a deep sleep. I

recommend self–help books, or books that will improve

your life in some way, like spiritual texts and

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motivational books. For some recommended reading

refer to our store at www.stillnessproject.com/store.

Other things to read could be a set of

affirmations that you have written. This reprogramming

of your mind with uplifting thoughts will help you feel

more positive, confident and enthusiastic for life. Our

mind is like a software and often it runs with very

outdated data. When old thoughts that are filled with

fear and worry travel through our brain, it leaves

impressions in our body that result in anxiety. Now is

the time to upgrade the software and operate with more

positive thoughts. This re–programming takes time. Our

mind can become very conditioned to think negatively.

This habitual way of thinking is known in sanskrit as

vasanas. Vasanas are tendencies of the mind or habitual

patterns of thinking. Some of this programming can

come from your parents, your peers, colleagues, or it

might just be a pattern that you developed yourself.

Now is the time to correct these vasanas and

create new habits of thought. Make your new patterns of

thinking positive, courageous and inspiring. Your daily

meditations will help you with this process. Meditation

helps clear the static and old thought patterns. A lot of

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our belief systems are buried deep in our

subconsciousness and hard to access. By meditating we

can get down deeper into that realm of thought and

upgrade these old patterns. That‟s why saying

affirmations after your meditation is another very

effective time to be doing them. The mind is now clear

like a blank canvas and you are ready to paint a new

picture for your life.

Affirmations are always statements about the

NOW. When you say the affirmations, spend a moment

there and go deep into the feeling of what it is like to be

that right now. Some examples would be:

I am abundant

I am fearless

I am healthy

I am calm

I am love

I am light

You could come up with your own affirmations

and keep them by your bedside to go over each night

and each morning.

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By now you will be well and truly on your way

to a calmer happier life. However, if you‟d like to try a

couple of extra steps to really help you get across the

line, the next 2 steps could be the thing for you. Firstly

in step 7, this bedtime drink is not only great at helping

you fall asleep, but it soothes the nervous system and

also tastes ridiculously good! Check it out in Step 7…

Bed Time Stories

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CHAPTER 8

Lullaby Nightcap

“Remain calm, serene, always in

command of yourself. You will then

find out how easy it is to get along."

― Paramahansa Yogananda

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N o no! I‟m not talking about a shot of whisky

here! A warm hearty milk drink with specific

spices before bed will soothe your body and help it

become grounded and relaxed. Researchers have found

that when milk is heated and drunk with herbs and

spices before bed, the milk‟s bioactive peptides support

deep healthy sleep, help with restoration of the body and

promote relaxation. Admittedly some people, myself

included, try to avoid dairy as much as possible, so some

other alternatives will be nut milks or rice milks.

Making nut milk is really simple as long as you

have a good high–powered blender. Try using organic

almond, macadamia or cashews for your nut milk. For

almond and cashew nuts, I soak the nuts in water

overnight, then rinse and blend them with water the next

day. This is done to firstly wash the phytic acid, which

is a toxin, out of the nuts, and also to activate the nut so

that it enlivens the energy within.

Use a ratio of 1 cup of nuts to 3 cups of water.

With macadamia nuts there is no need to soak them, as

they are a kernel and not a nut – add the 1 cup of

macadamia nuts and 3 cups of water to your blender and

blend until it is a smooth liquid consistency. This nut

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milk has no preservatives, so a word of caution here, this

will only stay fresh for about 3 days. When taking your

time limitations into consideration, you could either

make a small batch regularly, or a large batch to freeze

it.

If you are ok with using dairy – that‟s fine too.

You may wish to try organic dairy milk.

Once you have your milk, warm it up in a

saucepan and add these ingredients:

1⁄4 tsp cardamom

1⁄4 tsp cinnamon

sprinkle of turmeric

1⁄4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp honey, chopped dates or stevia for sweetener

1⁄4 tsp black pepper

sprinkle of saffron

tablespoon of ghee

Stir all these together into the warm milk in your

saucepan until it has a lovely blended consistency. Then

your lullaby nightcap is ready for you to drink. This

drink is very grounding and nurturing for your body, and

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will be a very good lead in to a good night‟s sleep and a

relaxed nervous system.

The next step involves two supplements that

have been proven to help alleviate anxiety. In fact

studies have shown that this one mineral is highly

deficient in our society, which is resulting in increased

levels of anxiety. Let‟s check out step 9.

Lullaby Nightcap

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CHAPTER 9

M & M‟s And The Power

of Q96

"A good laugh and a long sleep are

the best cures in the doctor's book."

― Irish Proverb

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I ‟m not keen on recommending popping pills,

however these herbal supplements are certainly

something that you should keep in your house or take

with you on your travels. I‟m not talking about those

colourful chocolate candies; I‟m talking about

melatonin, magnesium and Q96.

Melatonin is a natural biochemical we produce in our

body that enables us to go to sleep and live calmly.

It‟s been proven that we produce less melatonin

when we are stressed and as we get older. So the key

here is to not just pop a pill of melatonin and continue

living a stressed life. This is why we have listed

melatonin all the way down at Step 9. Our first priority

is to reduce the stress so that we will naturally produce

more melatonin and naturally fall asleep and naturally

feel calmer. However there may be times when you need

a little support to help you drift off to sleep with

something natural like melatonin.

This can be useful if:

you are flying and find yourself in different time

zones

you attended a function that finished late at night

and your body is still quite stimulated

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It‟s a full moon. (Yes! This might be an odd one to

mention, but often on a full moon night you may

find it a little difficult to drop into sleep.)

Numerous studies have reported benefits of

taking melatonin, including reversing ageing and

reducing anxiety. Cochrane Research, led by Dr Hansen

M.V., conducted 12 studies involving 770 patients

testing the use of melatonin for reducing the symptoms

of anxiety in patients before and after operations. The

evidence revealed that melatonin was effective in

reducing the severity of anxiety in adults.

You can buy melatonin online or in some countries from

your local pharmacies. In Australia, melatonin requires a

prescription, however there are websites where you can

buy it online. I personally don‟t recommend becoming

dependant on melatonin. I rarely use it even though it

has many benefits. I do keep some at home in my fridge,

and when travelling I use it as a back–up plan.

Another supplement that will help you sleep well

at night and reduce anxiety is magnesium. Studies have

shown that many people suffer from a deficiency of

magnesium, which leads to poor sleep and increased

anxiety.

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“Magnesium deficiency can produce symptoms

of anxiety or depression, including muscle weakness,

fatigue, eye twitches, insomnia, anorexia, apathy,

apprehension, poor memory, confusion, anger,

nervousness, and rapid pulse.” Carolyn Dean MD ND

Magnesium plays an important role in our body

feeling relaxed and calm. You can get magnesium in

almonds, leafy greens and wheat germ; however

supplementing every now and then to keep your

magnesium levels up is recommended. You can find

good quality magnesium at health food stores and

pharmacies, and taking one before bedtime is a good

relaxant for your body.

Finally, when it comes to supplements, one that

has had 26 independent clinical studies with 41

scientific researches reporting its powerful effect on

reducing anxiety, panic attacks and depression is

Empowerplus Q96. This micronutrient supports mood

stability, brain health and improved cognition. Harvard

University found Empowerplus Q96 to be 3 times more

effective than any other mood disorder medication

known.

Super Supplements

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Research increasingly indicates that a lack of

vitamins and minerals can lead to increased stress,

anxiety and mood disorders. Q96 works as a powerful

brain food specially formulated to counteract these

deficiencies.

Some of the key benefits are:

Contains 36 ingredients specifically proportioned for

the best uptake of micronutrients in the body.

Supports emotional wellbeing and mood stability,

improved cognition and brain function.

96–hour micronization process that ensures the

minerals are pulverised into a size the body can

effectively absorb.

Chelated for increased bioavailability– this is a

process where the vital minerals are bound to

proteins so the body can better digest them.

Q96 is not only supported by a huge body of

scientific data, but also by numerous testimonials from

the public. Terry from California says:

“I am off all psych–meds and feel right for the first time

in my life.”

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Then Donna from Canada said of her experience with

Q96:

“In just one day, I no longer wanted to die. Stress,

anxiety and depression no longer existed in my life.”

Ideally you wouldn‟t want to fall back on relying

on these supplements to remove anxiety. The key to this

process is to remove stress so that your mind and body

is balanced, sleep naturally arrives each night, and your

nervous system is calm. However there will be times

where supplementing with melatonin or magnesium, and

feeding your brain with much needed nutrients will help

the process a lot. Think of them as your support tools.

Q96 and other supplements are available for

purchase from our online store. Please visit:

www.stillnessproject.com/store.

So we‟ve spent some time looking at things for

you to do and take to help bring about more calm in

your life. And in this next step, we are going to explore

the things that you could well consider avoiding. Yep,

this is the part where you might feel a bit deprived. But,

what you lose in one respect, you gain 10 times!

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Here we go, let‟s see what we can remove from

our lives that‟s causing anxiety and stress….

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CHAPTER 10

Things to Avoid

“Sleep is a symptom of caffeine

withdrawal”

― Unknown

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W e‟ve talked a lot about things that you can do to

experience more calm and less anxiety, and

now it‟s time to discuss what we can avoid. These are

things that have become a deeply conditioned part of our

society, and yet they are having a large impact not just

on our anxiety levels, but also on our overall wellbeing.

In this chapter we‟ll explore recommendations I have for

you as to what to avoid that will make a difference to

your life.

There are 3 main items I suggest avoiding where

possible. I say where possible because I understand how

established these can be in your life, and suddenly

dropping them from your routine and habits won‟t be

that easy. So be gentle with yourself and take your time.

Do your research with this and see how it affects your

life.

1. Caffeine

Simply, caffeine is a stimulant. If you are

suffering from anxiety or panic attacks then remove

caffeine from your life completely. Our lives are already

stimulated enough without taking caffeine. If you feel

you couldn‟t operate daily without caffeine, then I‟d

recommend asking yourself why are you so tired? If our

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bodies are well rested, our minds calm, we eat well and

exercise regularly, we will have more than enough

energy to keep us brimming with vitality through the

day. Due to stress, poor sleep, poor diet and lack of

exercise, we have developed very low energy levels –

hence our addiction to caffeine. You only have to see the

queues in city coffee shops in the morning, as society

needs its energy boost to start the day, to realise how big

our addiction is to caffeine.

Caffeine comes in black tea, green tea and

coffee. I recommend avoiding all caffeine. Admittedly

this will be very confronting for you if you have a

caffeine addiction and need your daily hit. I also

understand there is a big social element tied to the

caffeine experience as we sit down in a café to catch up

with friends. A lot of this is social conditioning though

and can be modified with time. Alternatives can be

dandelion tea, herbal teas, fresh ginger and lemon in hot

water, and one of my favourites, which is hot water with

turmeric, ginger and stevia. Across Asia it‟s very

common to simply drink warm water, which is one of

the best things for you! It rehydrates you and cleanses

your kidneys and liver. A slight warning here….if you

have been drinking a lot of caffeine for a long time, you

Things to Avoid

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may want to reduce consumption gradually to avoid

headaches, as your body will experience withdrawal

symptoms.

2. Sugar

I know I‟m totally spoiling your party here! First

with caffeine and now sugar – it‟s like your entire

afternoon break has just been wiped out, right? Well

sugar is not only highly stimulative for the body, but it‟s

just simply not good for you on many levels. Again like

caffeine, sugar is used in a lot of cases as a synthetic

stimulant to boost your energy levels. The problem with

this is you experience an insulin spike as the sugar hits

your blood. The energy rush quickly drops away as you

burn it up and you feel even more depleted than before

you took it. Which is why we develop addictions to

sugar and need to keep going back for more and more.

A study performed in 2008 revealed that rats that

were fed high levels of sugar and then deprived of food,

developed a dopamine imbalance which led to anxiety.

David Gillespie, author of Sweet Poison (Penguin) says,

“Sugar contains fructose, which produces a spike in our

levels of the stress hormone cortisol.”

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Sugar has been added to nearly all of our foods.

It comes in the form of glucose, sucrose, fructose,

maltose, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, fructose,

molasses, syrup, and sugar to name a few. You only

have to look at the ingredients of all the items in your

pantry or your local supermarket to see how much sugar

you are eating and drinking on a daily basis.

What are the alternatives? Nuts, vegetables,

healthy fats, eggs, wild caught fish, and grass–fed

organic meats. Healthy fats are an important factor in

the promotion of overall health. To help you through

this process, try to increase your healthy fat intake. Fats

are a good slow–burning fuel for your body, and come

in the form of coconut oil, ghee, avocado, nuts and fish,

and grass–fed meats. When you decrease your

carbohydrates and sugars, and increase your fats, you

will notice you have a longer sustained energy, and less

of that buzzy fight/flight experience.

I have seen many students remove sugar from

their diets to find once their body has passed through the

withdrawal stage, their energy levels have gone through

the roof, they sleep better and feel a lot more vibrant!

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Some good books to read on this are I Quit Sugar by

Sarah Wilson, and Sweet Poison by David Gillespie.

Ok, I‟ll cut you some slack here though. You

don‟t need to be totally rigid with sugar as life is to be

enjoyed. But at least start to monitor how much sugar

you are consuming daily and be honest with yourself –

are you using sugar to lift your energy levels each day?

You will find once you reduce or eliminate sugar from

your food, you will start sleeping a whole lot better and

feeling a lot more energised through the day!

3. Alcohol

I live in Australia and I spend a lot of time

travelling the world presenting talks. One thing I have

noticed in my travels is how dependent we are on

alcohol for social gatherings. There‟s not an office

function, family dinner, catch–up with friends, or

celebration of any type that doesn‟t involve the presence

of alcohol. Alcohol has become so ingrained into the

fabric of western society, we have become dependent on

it to cope in social situations. Yet this can have a big

effect on our body and nervous system. Admittedly one

big challenge many people face, is feeling like they are

the odd one out by not holding an alcoholic drink in

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their hand at these events. It takes time to overcome this.

Some ways to manage this is to be upfront with people

and let them know that you have decided to take some

time off drinking alcohol. Not drinking alcohol is a lot

more common now with events like Feb Fast, Dry July

and Ocsober – becoming more acceptable to abstain

from drinking alcohol.

You are here to experience the richness and

fullness of life. You are here to explore how magnificent

you are with your intelligence, creativity, radiance and

love. Sure drinking alcohol can be relaxing and socially

fun; however it can also remove us from being more

engaged and connected. My life changed so much more

for the better when I stopped drinking alcohol, started

going to bed early and had a good night sleep. So see

how you go, give it a try.

Are you feeling deprived yet? Avoiding these

three things can be very challenging at first, and I‟m not

suggesting you go cold turkey on it all at once. Do your

own research. See what it feels like when you start

reducing these things from your life. I‟m sure after a few

weeks, like me, you will have a less anxiety and panic

and feel much calmer. This leads to better health, more

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happiness, and more love. So what have you got to lose?

Try reducing these three and watch your life flourish!

Ok this next step is an art form that takes time.

But it is certainly important to embrace. What is

mindfulness and what does it have to do with living

without anxiety? You‟re about to find out…

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CHAPTER 11

Mindfulness

"Our stresses, anxieties, pains and

problems arise because we do not

see the world, others or even

ourselves as worthy of love."

― Prem Prakash

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W e started these steps with meditation and now

we will look at mindfulness. Many people

put these two in the same basket, however I prefer to

separate them as I see them as two different things.

Meditation is the process of closing the eyes and

quietening the mind – ultimately experiencing stillness.

This is a structured practice designed to create gaps in

your day where you aren‟t digesting data or engaged in

lots of mental activity. In meditation there is an intention

to slow the mind down using discipline, concentration,

or the powerful effect of mantras. When the mind is still,

a deep level of rest is achieved, and this rest is where

healing in the body takes place.

Mindfulness however, is being aware of the

mind and its thoughts. It‟s a process of being engaged,

aware and observant of what you are doing, how you are

doing it, and where the mind is while you‟re doing it.

It‟s a very pro–active process because the mind has been

allowed to run loose for a long time playing in the future

and the past. A great deal of our anxiety is a result of the

mind being allowed to play in the future, worrying about

things that may never happen, or in the past –

remembering things that no longer exist. However, this

process of mindfulness is all about being present with

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the mind; right here, right now, and engaging in

positive, calming thoughts.

Like we mentioned in previous chapters, the

mind has a tendency to think in a particular way. These

vasanas, or tendencies, lead to a great deal of anxiety as

your thoughts of fear flow into a physical impression in

your body. Now it is time to be aware of your mind,

observe your thoughts and start to exercise some

authority over them. Decartes, the French philosopher

said in the 1600‟s:

“I think therefore I am.”

However there is a consciousness that is able to

observe the thoughts and separate your observer to the

thinking. Thinking is a tool, your mind is a vehicle, it‟s

not who you are. Our thoughts are adaptable, and when

we exercise some authority over the mind by observing

it, we can then start to be selective about the thoughts

that we want to choose. This won‟t be an easy thing to

do at first and will take some practice. Your daily

meditation will help a lot with this process, but now it‟s

about flexing that muscle of control over your mind.

Your mind will have a tendency to run away into

the future and the past as it constantly seeks charm

Mindfulness

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through the thinking process. It will be analysing

everything you went through that day, or start to forecast

and create many scenarios about the future. I know a lot

of my anxiety was a result of my mind projecting into

the future with fear about possible outcomes. What my

mind was doing was creating false scenes of the future

in my head that distorted my present moment with fear.

At this point you need to rein the mind in and bring it to

the present moment. Some ways to do this are to bring

your awareness to your breath, simply ebbing and

flowing through your nostrils; or bring your awareness

to your senses and be in the now.

What are you feeling?

What are you seeing?

What are you tasting?

What are you smelling?

What are you hearing?

Here there is nothing else to be thinking about –

not heading into the future, not going back into the past.

Just be here right now. The only reality is right here,

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right now. Your senses only exist in the present, so to

come to the present, come to the senses.

As the mind drifts away then bring it back.

Observe the mind and be the authority over it. When the

mind is given free rein it will start to create scenarios in

your head, which result in stimulative biochemical

releases that lead to anxiety. Try to keep your mind in

the now, and when you feel it is running away with lots

of imaginative scenes, start to bring it back and keep it

in check.

Each day you will have 40,000–60,000 thoughts.

Now it is time for you to choose what those thoughts

are. For each thought that you are entertaining, there are

an infinite number of other thoughts that you aren‟t

entertaining. Isn‟t it time we do an audit of our thinking

and re–assess what thoughts we could be having?

Think of your greatness, think of your calmness,

think of your invincibility, think of your lovingness. Did

you place your attention on your heart space today? Did

you feel the fiery love in your chest? We spend so much

time worrying about the future and the past, yet we

ignore the most important thing of all…our heart.

Feeling love isn‟t something we need to wait for

Mindfulness

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someone to give us. „Others‟ aren‟t the source of love,

they are triggers that set off a flow of biochemicals in

our body that we have the power to create ourselves. If

you‟d like some help with this, you might like to listen

to my Golden Heart Meditation. This 5–minute guided

meditation will help you bring your mind away from

your worries to the beautiful loving space in your chest.

After doing this meditation daily you will feel calmer,

lighter and with more love in your life. To download

this go to www.stillnessproject.com/store

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CHAPTER 12

Nourish and Nurture

"It‟s not about eating, it‟s about

using the food to deal with anxiety

and stress.”

― Terry Sandbek

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I n our final chapter, and by no means is this the least

significant, we cover the importance of keeping

your body nourished with food and fluids. Many people

find they lose their appetite when they are anxious,

which is an ancient protective design in the body for

self–preservation. If you are running from a marauding

tribe there is no time to stop for food. You can‟t afford

to be distracted, and hunger can be a huge distraction.

So the body takes this out of the equation. Your saliva

glands dry up and your appetite is shut down. You‟ll

notice you have a dry mouth when you have anxiety and

panic. This is to prevent you wanting to stop for food

because of hunger pangs.

This was all well and good when we WERE

being attacked by a marauding tribe or sabre tooth tiger

thousands of years ago, but now you are in the

comfortable, safe environment of the office or home, it

is no longer relevant. Because you have no appetite, you

don‟t eat, and because you don‟t eat, your body is

starved, dehydrated and undernourished. This becomes a

vicious cycle that many people fall into when they start

to feel stressed.

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The dehydration and lack of food triggers the

body to go back into fight/flight. You find yourself in

the trap of not feeling like eating because you are

anxious, which then ultimately cycles back to make you

more anxious. So you need to break this pattern or else it

will take a hold on you. Now is the time to step in and

explore what the body really needs rather than how it is

reacting.

It made a huge difference to my anxiety levels

when I ate healthy, nourishing food and fluids regularly.

(When I say regularly, I mean every 2–3 hours.) This

doesn‟t mean keeping a logbook, but being aware of

your last fluid and food intake is important. Here are

some ideas that will help you stay on top of this.

1. Drink a minimum 2 litres of water a day.

This would include a large glass or two of warm water

first thing in the morning with a dash of apple cider

vinegar or a squeeze of lemon juice. This alone has

numerous benefits:

It rehydrates the body after going 8 hours through

the night without fluids.

It helps to rebalance the pH levels on the body with

the apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. It‟s been

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proven that a stressed body is very acidic, which

causes many health issues.

It cleanses the kidney and liver, flushing out the

toxins.

It helps digestion.

Excellent source of potassium.

Improves your immune system.

Throughout the day keep a flask of warm liquid

with you. These flasks can be bought at most department

stores, camping stores, and even supermarkets.

Whenever I am in the car for long drives I always take

my flask to keep me hydrated. You can use herbal teas,

sliced ginger or slices of lemon in the water.

A standard glass or mug is about 8 ounces; so for

2 litres a day of fluids, you would need to drink around

8 glasses or mugs. To break it up into a day, you‟d drink

two glasses when you first wake up, one at morning tea,

one with lunch, one after lunch, one with afternoon tea,

one before dinner, and perhaps one after dinner. This

way your body will feel rehydrated and „safe‟. This

alone will reduce the anxiety symptoms. Remember to

avoid caffeine here as it will stimulate your nervous

system too much.

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2. Snack on food regularly (every 2–3 hours).

Nourishing your body with healthy food requires

a little more preparation, although not too much. Snack

foods are important, however this doesn‟t mean

chocolate bars or packets of chips. When you are on the

run between meetings or travelling, most places like

convenience stores and fast food outlets don‟t offer very

wholesome slow–burning snack foods. They usually

offer snack food with little or no nutritional value, which

your body will burn off quickly, leaving you with an

insulin spike followed by depleted energy.

So to prepare yourself daily, be sure to stock up

on nourishing food you can carry in a bag that will keep

your body feeling safe and grounded in between meals.

Some foods to keep with you are nuts, avocados, tins of

tuna or salmon, vegetable sticks with dips like hummus

and tahini. If you eat meat, then packets of biltong or

jerky.

3. Eat Your Three Main Meals

Skipping meals is common for people with anxiety and

this only exacerbates the situation. It‟s important here to

sit down to your three main meals each day. Start with a

wholesome breakfast, which is the most crucial meal of

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the day for someone experiencing anxiety. This meal is

the platform for grounding your body for the rest of the

day. Try to eat slow–burning food that will keep your

body fueled for a while. If possible avoid sugary cereals,

dairy, processed food and gluten. Some ideas for

breakfast would be:

porridge with banana, coconut flakes, coconut milk

and cinnamon

gluten–free toast with avocado, squeeze of lemon,

salt and pepper

two boiled eggs, avocado and smoked salmon

Cooked mushrooms, tomato and spinach with

organic grass–fed meat

When it comes to lunch and dinner, I try to keep

things simple, and don‟t really have many rules. Some

simple guidelines I like to follow are:

avoid gluten

avoid dairy

sustainably caught fish

organic where possible

local seasonal fruit and vegetables

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These are preferences and not firm rules.

Obviously it‟s not always possible to be this rigid, and

sometimes the stress of being this rigid can be worse

than the food itself. So for me it‟s about having fun. Eat

and drink with love and joy. Life is a celebration and

food is a part of life. Enjoy it. Being conscious about

food is different than being serious about food.

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CONCLUSION

The Calm Life

“The pursuit even of the best things,

ought to be calm and tranquil."

― Marcus Tullius Cicero

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A calm life is yours to live. You can live

without panic and anxiety. If you start to

implement some of these steps, you will find the anxiety

will drop away, and you will be living an incredibly

calm, successful and vibrant life. I went from daily panic

attacks, agoraphobia, depression and insomnia, to

author, keynote speaker, retreat host, meditation teacher,

life coach and film producer. I put that change down to

these 12 steps in this book.

I understand implementing change can be very

challenging. I resisted it for many years. However,

suffering is proportional to our resistance to change, and

my resistance to change led me to a great deal of

suffering in my life.

It takes a great deal of courage to face yourself

and face life‟s challenges. Along with desire and a

greater sense of self–responsibility – you can decide to

commit to the journey and visualize the perfect, positive

outcome. We need to come to the self–realization that

our challenges are our best teachers. How are we going

to acknowledge them? How are we going to align

ourselves with what is, and work towards balance, joy,

wholeness, calm and transformation?

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Anxiety is like getting a tap on the shoulder from

nature suggesting something in your life needs to

change. Einstein‟s definition of insanity is doing the

same thing over and over again and expecting a different

result. Well, I was going through the same thing for

years, and yes, it nearly led me to insanity! Once I

embraced change, then the anxiety and panic went away.

Embracing all of these steps at once won‟t be

easy, and you may find that by simply doing two or

three of these steps makes a huge difference. Play

around with it, explore, do some research and see how

you go.

Our journey to self–mastery starts by taking

those little steps. Perhaps one of these quotes will

resonate, inspire and motivate you:

“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the

first step”. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

“One may walk over the highest mountain one step at a

time.” – John Wanamaker

And some familiar Chinese Proverbs:

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“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

– Lao Tzu

“To get through the hardest journey we need to take

only one step at a time, but we must keep on stepping”.

– Chinese Proverb

You are here to discover your greatness, your

magnificence, YOUR BRILLIANCE! Your soul is pure,

it‟s light, and its love. Your essence is calmness. One

day you will look back with gratitude, like I do today. I

see the anxiety was my cue to return home, to get back

into my orbit, back to who I am – the calm embodiment

of love. Along the way I had forgotten, I‟d become lost,

and the anxiety was there to guide me back to

remembering my Truth. You‟re on your way home now,

back to the stillness, the calm, the inner love.

Conclusion

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ABOUT THE

AUTHOR

Tom Cronin is the founder of

The Stillness Project, whose

mission it is to inspire people

from all over the world to re–

discover their inner calm,

creativity, and magnificence

through a holistic approach to

wellness.

Prior to establishing The Stillness Project, Tom led a

very successful 26–year career in finance as a broker

trading swaps and bonds for the banks. In the early years

of his career, Tom suffered extreme anxiety and panic

attacks, which led to a crippling depression and

agoraphobia. The extent of this imbalance was so great

that Tom had to take leave from his employment.

After finding little relief from the medical profession,

Tom began his own research into discovering a way to

not only cure himself of the anxiety and panic attacks,

but also live a life of calm, happiness and success. This

book is a result of that research.

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Now Tom devotes his time to fulfilling his

mission in helping others overcome the same imbalances

he experienced. He teaches meditation, hosts retreats in

Australia, Bali & Hawaii, and is a global keynote

speaker, author and developer of online transformational

courses.

Tom has been teaching meditation to top level

companies in Australia, from CBA, Criteo, Finch

Media, Nova FM, Rivkin Finance and Fairfax Media.

He has been interviewed on national TV (Morning Show

Channel 9), featured in Vogue magazine, The Daily

Telegraph, Business Review, Conde Naste Traveller,

and The Sydney Morning Herald. He has written for The

Huffington Post, Mind Body Green and Finerminds. In

addition, Tom has presented keynote talks on stage in

Mexico, Malaysia, the USA, Bali and Australia.

Tom is an Executive Producer and Producer

developing an upcoming film, to spread the message

globally of the power of daily meditation and untapped

human potential.

About the Author

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I‟d like to offer my love, blessings and gratitude

to Jen, Taj and Lauren, my dear family, for their

constant support, patience and never–ending love. You

are a source for my inspiration.

A big thank you to Miriam Sanua for her gentle

edits and guidance throughout the writing of this book.

You've helped refine and polish the rough edges off.

Thank you!

I also offer endless gratitude to all the Masters,

guides, teachers and students, for their role in assisting

me along in this ongoing quest of life. The lessons come

each day in many shapes and forms, and although I am a

teacher, I am always a student. To all the seekers of the

Truth, together may we see through the illusion and

bathe in the glory of our eternal Light and Love.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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Personal Message from Tom

I want to personally congratulate you for making

the decision to embrace change in your life so that you

will eliminate anxiety and panic attacks. I am delighted

to give you private access to three complimentary bonus

videos to assist you on your path to peace and calm. I

encourage you to watch these videos and implement

what you have learnt.

Video 1 Will reveal how change appears in our lives and

why we experience the stress response of anxiety and

panic.

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Video 2 We explore how to embrace adaptability and

move through change effortlessly without anxiety and

panic.

Video 3 We discover one technique that will be the most

powerful tool to remove anxiety and panic attacks from

your life. This was life changing for me, and here you‟ll

find out why.

Get your three FREE BONUS videos here:

http://stillnessproject.com/fdc/

Personal Message from Tom

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More Books from The Stillness Project

Path to Peace Book

Your complete guide to living in a

constantly changing world with calm,

grace and happiness.

Spirit & Soul Book

A guide to the 7 states of consciousness

and what Love ultimately is.

Faster Deeper Sleep Book

Your complete guide to experiencing a

deep nourishing sleep that will have you

waking up feeling refreshed and full of

energy every morning

Insights Book

Cognitions and insights from Source

presented against a beautiful backdrop of

images of the Universe captured by the

Hubble telescope.