Press/Media Room - Sample Q&A Sheet for Media Sample: BENEFITS OF STRESS-MANAGEMENT (How to "Relax-Quick!" when you know you need to, but you just plain can’t!) NOTE: This is just one possible "flow" of sample questions. Nancy can elaborate on any of the techniques and topics as time and interest permit. Her Q&A can be pared to be presented strictly as pragmatic stress-management, or expanded to incorporate a more health-related or spiritual orientation (eg – holiday stress, dealing with cancer, how forgiveness heals, etc.) She's done everything from 2-minute TV news clips to 2-hour solo radio interviews. She "reads" audiences well, and will tailor her presentation to fit your market. Q: How does one go about "Finding the Peaceful Place Within" when the outer world seems so full of demands, uncertainties and even danger? A: It's because of this outer uncertainty and hectic pace of life that it becomes even more important to find ways of creating a place of peace - a place within yourself where you can go to release tensions, to rebalance body, mind and spirit..... Q: Sounds great, but how do you find that place? A: It's really quite simple...sometimes deceptively simple! That place can be reached through the breath. In fact, right now, whether you're driving, brushing your teeth, or [whatever examples are appropriate for time segment!], you can practice one of these basic techniques that'll change your tension level in a matter of seconds....[lead 30 second to 2-3 minute breathing techniques, depending on time/venue]... Q: (Wow! I really do feel more relaxed already! That's amazing!) Another technique I see listed on your Relax-Quick! CD is called the "Silent Scream"...that sounds interesting... A: That's one of my favorites. It’s definitely come in handy for me during some pretty stressful situations...[lead amusing, yet highly effective technique...studio audiences love it!] Q: Your latest audio series is entitled "RELAX INTO HEALING" - most of us know that the body and mind are interconnected and that the mind can greatly influence the body's health, and vice-versa...Can you tell me a little bit from your experience about how you've seen relaxation and stress-management affect physical health? A: I sure can - I can tell you how I've used it in my own life- including during my own cancer healing journey, and my daughter’s- and I've got all kinds of wonderful success stories from two decades of work with clients and students... For example...[brief examples of applications/results with clients - from high blood pressure, allergies, headaches, cancer, RSD, etc... number and depth of accounts dependent upon time...] Q: Can you talk a little bit about what you consider to be other important elements in stress-management and bodymind health? A: Of course, there're the basics, like exercise, nutrition, getting enough sleep...(I focus on that element in my "Deep, Healing Sleep" CD and booklet)… some sort of creative self expression...social support... All those are very important elements...[and can be expanded upon!] But what I'd like to focus on in our remaining time here is the importance of AWARENESS and CHOICE - that, by taking even 5 or 10 minutes a day to be still, to let the breath lead you within, you begin to be AWARE of what's going on inside...of your conditioned thought and emotional response patterns, which dictate your behaviors. You realize those habitual thoughts aren't You. Those triggered emotions aren't You. By raising your awareness level, then, you're able to be fully present in that crucial "Moment of Choice"...that window of opportunity when we decide, usually unconsciously, whether to play out habitual patterns or to create new ones. It's the syndrome we've all experienced of watching yourself play out some unwanted behavior while thinking,"WHY am I doing this??!!" (Like eating a quart of Haagen-Daaz while knowing you'd really like to lose 20 pounds!) The answer is: because it's a conditioned response, and only by relaxing deeply enough to be fully aware of that "Moment of Choice" can you choose to literally reprogram those old thought, emotional response and behavior patterns to ones more conducive to your health and well-being. It's really pretty exciting stuff! [much more on this if appropriate/time permits.] Q: Any final bit of advice for our viewer/listeners? A: Yes - love yourself. Practice what you know is good for you. Be patient ...And be grateful. Asking yourself first thing in the morning, before you even get out of bed, "What am I grateful for?" will get your day off to a wonderful start. (Much better than lying there dreading your day's to-do list!) No matter what's going on, you can always find something, someone to be grateful for. This will open your heart and lower your stress levels tremendously. And it just makes life a lot more fun!