Eckhart Tolle talks about “the Pain Gap”. The Pain Gap exists when we wish for something different than what reality is. Every time we wish for something to be different than it actually is, we have instant pain. “I wish my spouse were more supportive” “I wish my income was higher” “I wish I was thinner”. Those are all set ups for pain. Because right now, things are exactly as they are. Tolle says to have peace of mind in our lives, we need to live in the present moment and accept what is.

Understanding the subtle energy that runs through your body, and how to strengthen it is vital to a peaceful, successful, joyful abundant life. Science has recently begun to realize that reality is not what it seems. Where healing is involved, the ancient traditions of qi gong and acupuncture, among others, are based on the existence of energies that scientific instruments are only now beginning to be able to “see.”

We can all be found doing things to ourselves that are not life-affirming, not positive, and that do not enhance our well-being. But sometimes, we’ve been doing these things for so long that we don’t have any way to know that we are doing them, until someone points them out. In some cases, we do know, but we haven’t figured out a way to change. Here are 5 things that many of us do, that block us from true peace and happiness.

From John Robbins: “I have been asked what has motivated me to take on the medical establishment, to challenge its biases, and to expose its abuses of power. My answer is that I see how much needless harm is being done, and how much better things could be. I see how much healthier and happier people can be when they are educated and able to act wisely and make their own choices regarding their bodies.

The moon is seen as the ultimate in feminine energy, because the cycles of the moon correspond with the menstrual cycles of women. The moon also controls the tides of the seas and oceans, the feminine flow of the earth. In ancient cultures women would often retreat during the “new moon” phase of their cycle, when estrogen and testosterone are at a low.

On the quest to get healthy, just as in many other goals, one of the biggest barriers to success is the dual theme of procrastination and perfection. Procrastination is often the result of perfectionist thinking. It’s the idea that “if I can’t do this perfect, I’m not doing it. I will wait until it can be perfect.” Perfectionism is one of the most sinister traps that holds many of us back from truly succeeding at our health goals (and many others) because it sounds wonderful and ideal to be “perfect”.