You are light, love, and beauty

Good Morning!!  Today I challenge you to take 5 minutes or even 3, to just relax and breathe.  Focus on your breathing with the intention of recognizing your true self who is pure love, light, joy, and beauty!  Know that you are amazing!!  Fall in love with your true nature.  This will not result in narcissism - that is loving your own ego too much.  This will result in finding inner peace and love and acceptance of yourself and everyone else.  You are amazing and I love you!!!  Comment below on what comes up for you!

Peace

Sometimes we just try too hard.  We forget that we are truly perfect the way we are.  Not perfect in the way most people think of it - but perfect in the true sense.  We will change and we will grow but we are exactly where and who we are supposed to be.  So take a deep breath and just relax.  Just Be!!

Loving Kindness Metta Meditation

30 Day Challenge: Take a few minutes each day and just listen to this meditation.  Fill yourself with loving kindness and spread it throughout the world.

Report back and let me know the miraculous changes to begin to notice in your life!!

Namaste!!

Relaxation Meditation

Meditation

Meditation has so many benefits and it's doesn't cost a dime.   There are so many ways to meditate and all are beneficial.  I personally found that when my mind is racing it is easier to do a guided meditation than simply to try to quiet my mind.

Listen to this Relaxation Meditation and let me know what you think.  If you like it, please subscribe to my channel.  I will continue to add new meditations including some for kids.

10 Easy Ideas for Relaxation

When was the last time you really relaxed?  Is your mind constantly busy?  Do you ever just take time to relax and do nothing?  I don't mean do mindless activity like watch TV or sit on Facebook!  Those are not mind quieting and often, believe it or not, add to stress.  Not always and that depends on you but sometimes. Here are some ideas for relieving stress and opening yourself up to more creativity.

1. Meditate - just do it.  Guided relaxation, quieting your mind, mindfulness, following your breath, mantra.  If you don't know a lot about mediation, I'll do another blog on that.  In the meantime - you can just go to YouTube.  You'll find lots.  You don't have to even do this for a long time.  You can do a couple of minutes several times a day.  It really works!!

2. Exercise - get moving but not too hard.  If you are doing anaerobic exercise (where you can't carry on a conversation), you are actually adding to your stress level because it releases cortisol, the stress hormone.

3. Yoga.  Yes, this is exercise but I give it a category of it's own when it comes to stress relief because it is so effective.

4. Laugh - laughing is amazing for your body.  It helps reduce stress and heal on all levels.

5. Connect more.  This is really best done in person and really connecting.  Connecting on the computer really keeps us isolated since we are often alone there. Allow yourself to be with people and really be vulnerable and be a true friend.  Release judgement and connect. Every one of us is alike in many ways.  We all need love and we all have feelings and emotions.

6. Hug more.  We all need physical contact to thrive.  Hugging has so many benefits and it doesn't cost a thing! Shoot for 12 hugs minimum each day.

7. Forgive.  Forgive others and yourself.  You have to let go of anything that may have hurt you so that you can move on and that means forgiving others and yourself.  Forgiving is not condoning and is instrumental to your health.  If it seems like a stretch, start with the affirmation, "I am willing to begin to forgive."

8. Music - listen to music that makes you feel good.

9. Smile.  Smiling alone (even if you don't feel like it) releases chemicals in the brain that combat the stress hormones.  Often when a smile is returned, it makes us feel even better and further reduces our stress levels.

10. Take a relaxing bath.  Not a shower but a bath.  Allow the warm water to relax all your muscles.  Maybe turn off the lights and light some candles.  This goes perfectly with listening to relaxing music or a guided meditation.  Add some lavender and Epsom salt to make it a detox bath.  Enjoy.


If you do something special for yourself everyday, you'll notice the difference.  Let me know how it goes!!

Believe In Yourself

How often do we look for the answers to life's challenges outside of ourselves?  I believe that is one of the reasons that I read so many self-help books - to find the answers I've been looking for.  But the truth is all the answers we need are inside us.  We have them, we just need to quiet our minds and listen.  I remember the first time you could ask God, Source, the Universe for help or answers through prayers but to hear the answers you must meditate or quiet your mind.  It makes so much sense.

What is all comes down to is believing in ourselves and our power.  We all have it.  The only difference is that some of us accept it and allow it and others of us don't believe enough in ourselves to even try to truly listen for the answers.  I challenge each one of us to allow our power to shine through.  Our power is our light and it is a good thing.  People who use "power" to control or hurt others are not really using their power - that's a lack of self-esteem and true self-confidence.  We don't need to be afraid of our power, we need to own it and allow it to flow freely through us every day.  It will inevitably benefit us and everyone around us.  Believe in yourself.  I do.  You can do anything you put your mind to.  You are an amazing person who can have the life you dream of and you can make a positive difference in the world every day!!  

Make today amazing!!  Believe in yourself.  Go share your light and your power with the world and see how things begin to change for the better every day!!

January Challenge

Happy New Year!!

As the new year begins many people make resolutions for change.  The problem is that resolutions are notorious for not being kept.  I believe that is because we think of them the wrong way.

I gave up making resolutions but I do make goals both short and long term every year!  One of the important aspects of goals is to known and articulate why you are making them.  To say you want to lose weight is great but to say how much weight, by when, and why give it much more power.  Why do you want to lose weight?  Do you really want to or is it something you think you should do?  Have you given any thought to why you want to?  How will you feel if you do and how will you feel if you don't?  Is there a difference?  The deeper you can go into the reasons you want to do something, the better.  If the reasons are really important to you and you keep those in mind you are more likely to actually follow through on what is need to achieve your goal.

I have created a challenge for myself.  I believe in planning to make a change for 30 days.  We can do anything for 30 days.  If it feels good, we can continue it and if not - release it.  It's done.

I invite you to join me in this challenge at whatever level feels good to you. I will report back at the end of the month to let you know how I did and I'd love to hear how you did, too!

Every day in January I'm planning to do the following:

1. Meditate
2. Run or Walk (3 miles minimum each day)
3. Nature - get out in nature and enjoy the world around me
4. Mirror Exercise - before going to bed every night I will look at myself in the mirror and compliment myself on my achievements for the day (big or small) and tell myself "I Love You!" ***
5. Goals - review them morning and night
6. Inspiration - read inspiring books at least 5 minutes
7.Sit-Ups - Do at least 30
8. Push-Ups - Do at least 15
9. Fruits/Veggies - each at least 5 servings

*** The mirror exercise sounds "weird" to people at first but people who have done it have had wonderful results.  Often people may not even know that they have low self-esteem or harbor some inner anger or guilt that is actually holding them back.  In doing the mirror exercise, we allow ourselves to have unconditional love from ourselves which is the most empowering gift we can give ourselves. We deserve it.

Please share your thoughts, comments, and results with me.

Are You Using Meditation To Be Healthy, Whole, and Happy?

Research has shown that meditation has many benefits.  In one eight-week meditation program, the study participants showed improved mood as well as decreased anxiety, tension, and fatigue.  Researchers also used brain scans which revealed improvements in blood flow in areas of the brain that control memory, implying that meditation can improve memory and prevent memory loss. Meditation has been shown to

create new neural circuits in our brain which allows us to use more of our brain.

Meditation also decreases blood pressure, pulse rate, the stress hormone, cortisol, and inflammatory substances.  It's also linked to a decrease in diabetes and heart disease!  If that's not enough, there is evidence that it decreases and sometimes eliminates chronic pain.  Yes, people who have been in pain for years without any relief may find it with meditation.

It has also been linked to greater success and life satisfaction!  What are you waiting for?

There are many different types of meditation and all seem to be beneficial.  My suggestion is to find the one, or ones, that work best for you and integrate them into your daily routine.  If you have never meditated before, have fun and experiment with different types.  Personally, when I am feeling most stressed and unable to easily quiet my mind I like guided imagery meditations.  They can lead anywhere you need to go!!

Don't forget that yoga and tai chi are forms of meditation, too.  Walking can be a form of meditation, too, if you really bring yourself into the present moment and focus on the now.  If you find your mind wandering just bring it back to your breathing or the feeling and rhythm of your feet on the ground.  Enjoy the surroundings and relax.  Listen to your breathing.

Looking at the pictures I picked, I just want to also state that meditation can be done anywhere and in any position.  You may enjoy being outside at sunrise or sunset but you can close your office door and sit at your desk and meditate mid-day if you want,  You can meditate while laying in bed.  Whatever works for you!

As always, please be gentle with yourself.  If your mind reverts to stressful thoughts, thank them for trying to help you and release them.  We are trained to think of the future and dwell in the past, a meditation practice will help bring those thoughts into the present.  It is a practice that we need to do regularly to change old thought patterns.  I'd love to hear about your experiences.

Have fun and be heathy, whole, and happy!