Relaxation Meditation

Loving Ourselves

One thing I found working with different people, as well as from my own experience, is that often we don't even realize that there's a part of us that really doesn't love and accept ourselves for who we are. That lack of love and understanding and acceptance are often what holds us back from achieving our dreams. That lack is also what often causes dis-ease in our bodies.

Today I'd like to invite you to say, "I love you and accept you unconditionally, ______!" (fill in your name) every time you pass a mirror. I want you to look yourself in the eyes and say it like you mean it. If you do this for 30 days, you will be able to see miracles occurring in your life. You may find that you see aches and pains disappearing. You may find yourself noticing miracles happening every day. I would love to hear how this works for you. The key is to keep at it even if it feels silly or if you think it's pointless. Just try it. Think of it as an experiment.

You may find things come up that you didn't realize. This may give you insight into what else is holding you back. Some limiting beliefs may emerge. Sometimes people see that even though they really thought they loved and accepted themselves, there's that time that they yelled that their parents, a coworker, a fellow driver, or their children and they still feel really bad about it. Let whatever comes up, come up and just acknowledge and accept it. Tell yourself how you love yourself anyway. Sometimes we have done things we haven't forgiven ourselves for yet.  It doesn't matter what you've done or who you are you deserve love especially from yourself! When you start loving yourself more you'll also notice that you feel loved from other people a lot more too.

Report back in the me know how it goes. In the meantime, know that I love you! You are wonderful and lovable simply because you exist! That is truth!

Spread Love

"Spread love wherever you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier." ~ Mother Teresa

I found one of the best ways to have people feel happier after interacting with me is by letting them know how important they are. The way I like to do that is to ask them questions about them.  Give them the opportunity to talk about what is important to them and really listen.  Don't listen with the intention of commenting or responding but listen with the intention of letting them know they are heard.

We are all important and we are all so busy that sometimes we don't spend the time truly connecting to people and seeing what is going on in their life.  Sometimes we leave interactions feeling "unimportant." Genuine interest and concern and listening, along with a glowing smile, will do so much good for the person receiving those gifts.  (The giver benefits, too, since it is in giving that we receive.)

Today, take an extra few minutes to really listen to the people in your life.  Listen closely to your kids, your partner, your neighbor, and the clerk at the store.  We are all people.  We all have ups and downs.  We all have emotions and hopes and dreams.  We are all connected. Feel that connection and let others know you feel it and they will always walk away happier having connected with another human being.

More smiles

"I will never understand all the good that a simple smile can accomplish." ~ Mother Teresa

I know I just wrote about the importance of smiling but I wanted to post again about it.  Smiling has such an amazingly positive impact of others.  It really has the power to change the direction of someone's day and even their life.  It costs nothing.  It has a physical impact of the person smiling, too.  

Who took me up on the challenge to smile at everyone you met the other day?  Who will do it now?  Also, for the ultimate affect, try your most genuine smile.  For everyone you meet, imagine they are you long lost favorite relative or friend.  Imagine that seeing them is the most amazing thing ever.  You can even say, "Hi, it's good to see you!"  Trust me you'll make a difference.

I remember when I was working in Boston and I'd walk down the sidewalk with a big smile on my face and make eye contact with people and acknowledge them as I walked by.  It felt strange when I started doing it and I know a lot of people wondered if I was mentally unstable but... I also know that it made many, many other people smile, too.   I could feel how their smile helped melt some of the stress they were feeling.  That might be even more so for the people who thought I was crazy :-)  The fact is, I felt great, too.  So many people who I saw regularly began to respond as if we were long lost friends.  They knew that they were special and that they made a connection.  That's what we all want and need - connection with others.  So go ahead and make sure you smile at everyone you see today.

Please let me know how it goes!! 

You can make easily make a big difference in this world - all you need to do is smile.

Enjoy Life

Don't be so intent on achieving your goals that you forget to enjoy life!  Goals are super important but too often people move through life trying to make more money and get more "stuff" but they forget to enjoy life.

Every day is a gift and no matter what you have or where you are, you CAN be happy.  Focus on what you do have and you will get more plus you'll be much happier in the process!!

Look around and see the beauty that exists.  Slow down and take a deep breath.  You are alive and you have the power to create your life the way you want it every day.  Be present.  Enjoy!

Let me know what steps you take today to stop and smell the roses!!

February - Focus on Love and the Heart

Okay - so my focus for this month is going to be love and the heart.  I'll share some heart healthy nutrition, focus on self-love, and loving your life and everything in it.

The first and most important type of love I want to focus on is self-love.  Not in the egotistical way people often think of self-love.  In fact, when we are vein and talk about ourselves constantly, it usually means we are actually lacking in self-esteem, self-love, and self-confidence.  Because of that we often "brag" in order to get recognition.  Who doesn't want recognition?  We all do but when we don't give it to ourselves along with love, we focus on getting it from the outside and anyone who will give it to us.

So, for the month of February, I challenge myself and each one of you to make a daily commit of self-love and recognition through a mirror exercise.  I want you to look yourself in the eyes every time you pass a mirror and say, "I love you, ________, I really, really love you.  I appreciate all you do and I accept you exactly as you are right now!" (Insert your name where the blank is.)

If you are in a private location, say it aloud. If you are in a public restroom, you can absolutely say it to yourself since I may get a lot of funny looks.  :)  If you want to still say it out loud you can use that as a conversation starter and teach others the importance of loving themselves.  When we all are completely full of love, there will be no aggression toward ourselves or others.  When we recognize that we are all connected and all more similar than we are different, we will find peace and compassion.  We all have feelings and emotions, we all crave love and recognition, we all have positive and negative experiences that affect us - we are all here living life on this planet and experiencing many of the same types of things although the specifics may be different.

The second part of the challenge is before bed go to the mirror and tell yourself aloud how much you appreciate all the things you did well during that day. It could be anything.  If you are having a particularly bad day, it may simply be that you got yourself out of bed and went to work.  Nothing is too small to acknowledge.  If you made a healthy selection of food or drink, if you acknowledged someone else and made them feel good.  If you got your kids to school on time.  It doesn't matter what it is - only focus on the good.  And finish up by saying, "I love you, ___________, and I really appreciate you.  I forgive you for all the things you feel need forgiving.  I forgive you for not giving yourself enough credit.  I forgive everyone who doesn't recognize what you do.  I love you!!  You are amazing.  I really, really love you!!"

Try this for the month - please tell me how you feel.  Do you notice any differences?  You may even want to journal about this so you see the difference.  Can you look yourself in the eyes when you say these loving words to yourself? Do you want to cry?  Do you notice a shift?  Please do share.  This can be transformational if you commit to it.

This month know that you are loved.  And focus on feeling the love from others put most importantly from yourself.  I love you!!  Namaste!!

Patience - yep, again!

I know I talk about the importance of patience a lot but it's what I need to work on and I know I'm not alone.  So often we get discouraged if things don't go exactly the way we want when we want.  Let's put a stop to that today :)

If you have a goal, it may take time to achieve that.  As you may know, I have recently taken up running.  Okay, some people would call what I do wogging.  A combination of walking and jogging but I will get better every time I get out there as long as I'm consistent and keep at it. It's easy to get discouraged and say, I can't do a marathon that will take me forever and I don't have the patience to walk it - and perhaps not the muscle strength (however, walking is a lot easier than running!)  I am basing that on my present physical condition.  But guess what, I can change that IF I have patience!!  

The same goes for any goal - weight loss is a great example, too.  Often people look at a 1 pound weight loss as nothing when they have 80 more pounds to lose but the fact is, it's a step in the right direction and with every step - no matter how small - you are getting closer to your goals!!

So my goals for today are to really ask myself what I can do for me today to bring me joy and get me closer to my goals and then listen!  Often we ask the question but when we don't have an immediate answer, we stop listening!

Take time today to be patient with yourself and take note of any progress you have made toward your goals.  It doesn't matter how small.  Write it down and celebrate yourself.  Take another action step in the right direction and applaud your courage and determination.

Enjoy your day.  Be patient and trust that all is well and you can do anything!!

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!!

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!