Reflecting on 2009

Last Monday, in honor of the Winter Solstice, I curled up with my notebook and cup of (decaf) coffee to reflect on the past year and plan for 2010.

Here are some of the highlights of my 2009 (in no particular order):

• Celebrated Meg's 11th Birthday
  
• Got my first passport
• Completed Pre-natal and Level 3 yoga trainings
• Girls' Nights with the YaYa's (you know who you are)
  
• Wrote a business plan
• Recommitted to a weekly yoga class for myself (huge!)
• Trip to Boston with Meg & the hubby
  
• Completed the Microenterprise Program
  
• Hosted the very first Women's Wellness Circle
• Completed Goddess Leonie's creativity course & made my first painting
  
• Celebrated the hubby's 30th birthday with a super fun bash at brewpub
  
• Purchased my dream building for the wellness center
• Applied for and was awarded two grants to help rehabilitate the dream building
• Celebrated 1 year anniversary with the hubby & re-lived our honeymoon in Sonoma, CA
• Hosted the first Women's Wellness Retreat with the lovely Kim David
• Traveled to Rhode Island with the family for my step-brother's fabulous wedding
• Did yoga demonstrations at Arts in the Park
• Started this blog - yay!
  
• Passed the EPPP & officially became a licensed psychologist
• Spa dates with my sister (aahhhh...there is a reason the place is called Heaven)
• Volunteer yoga teaching for victims of domestic violence
• Chakra workshops
• Celebrated 1 year anniversary of Tree of Life Yoga Studio at our new home
  
• Took my first Ashtanga yoga class
• Left my job & took the leap to full-time entrepreneur
• Started an independent practice as a psychologist
• Survived a complete kitchen remodel at our house
• Saw Cold Play live (so awesome)
• Recorded my very own yoga practice CD (coming soon!)
• Participated in Kimberly Wilson's online creativity circle
• Enjoyed many, many celebrations with family & friends - bachelorette parties, weddings, baby showers, birthday parties & more
  

Whew! It has been an amazing year! My word for the year was inspiration & inspired I have been!

Here are a few of my 2010 goals (still finalizing):

• Cultivate a meditation practice
  
• Get more regular exercise, specifically walk outside a 2-3 times every week
• Write a book proposal & send it out into the world
  
• Spiff up blog & websites
• Attend a retreat of some sort
  
• Learn to knit
• Cultivate unconditional self-acceptance (do you like how I just threw that one in there)
  
• Create a beautiful backyard garden
• Eliminate clutter, especially from my bedroom & closet
• Open a specialty boutique within the wellness center
• Complete Level 4 & 5 yoga trainings
• Publish yoga practice CD
• Record & publish meditation CD
• Organize a yoga retreat
  
• Expand the Do Yoga. Do Good. Initiative - I am so excited for the book club coming in February!!!!

Still pondering my word for 2010.... Lazily enjoying the last few days of 2009 - did I mention I am on a semi-vacation? I've been relaxing with my family - playing board games like this one and card games like this one and this one; watching movies; sleeping in; watching Gilmore Girls with Meg; indulging in Sex in the City on demand; and tons of reading, catching up on blogs, and journaling.

As the year comes to a close, I encourage you to reflect on your past year and set your intentions and goals for 2010. Feel free to share in the comments!

Namaste,

Mindy

Solstice Celebration

I just finished soaking in the tub and reading the second chapter in this book. A lovely way to cap off a Sunday!

I bought myself an early Christmas present today :-) I've been eyeing the Dr. Bronner's line of soaps for awhile now and this evening while dashing through Tarjay in search of black pants for my darling daughter's chorus concert tomorrow, I spotted a gift set marked down - yay! I used the Lavender soap during my soak - smells divine - and after my bath I lathered up with the Lavender Coconut lotion - equally fantastic! I'm typically a Dove soap only kind of gal; I feel like everything else leaves my skin feeling sticky. However, I really liked this soap and I am happy to report there was no yucky - sticky - filmy feeling after using it. Plus it is organic and fair-trade certified! Anyways, this post if supposed to be about the Winter Solstice....

Tomorrow is the Winter Solstice. This year I've decided to start a Winter Solstice ritual. I wasn't exactly sure of what I would do, just that I wanted to do something. I found some suggestions, but in the end I decided to craft my own ritual.

To me, the Winter Solstice is about renewal. It is the shortest day of the year and therefore marks a sort of depth of darkness, but also a promise of the return of light. It seems to me like a unique opportunity for reflection, a sacred day in the natural order of things.

I am thinking I will mark the Winter Solstice by devoting time to (1) clearing and cleansing and (2) reflecting and planning. I am planning to clear my desk in my home office (maybe if I am feeling brave I will post before and after pictures) and (gulp) my closet. I am also going to attempt an internal cleanse in the form of a day without sugar or caffeine. Sure won't be easy with all the holidays treats in the house! I am also going to start the day with a few minutes of meditation, hopefully around the time the sun is rising. Later in the day I've carved out some time to reflect on the past year's highlights/lessons learned and begin planning my 2010 goals. I'll let you know how it goes!

Do you have any special plans for the Winter Solstice? Please feel free to leave a comment and share your ideas for ritual or celebration.

Namaste,

Mindy

Holiday Fun

Hello Readers! I hope you are all doing well!

I can't believe that December is almost half over! Time is flying by this month...

Last week I was feeling kind of grumpy. I felt like I did not have any time to devote to holiday fun. On the one hand I am so grateful to have lots of work to keep me busy, but at the same time I don't like when things feel out of balance (all work and no play...). So I decided to schedule in some holiday fun time just like an important business meeting!

So far this month I have taken my daughter and her friend to the Kissmas Bash concert, attended a holiday party at my neighbors house, gone to the spa with my sister for a massage and facial (absolutely heavenly), and caught up with friends from my old job over some yummy holiday punch. Tomorrow I am going to bake cookies with my gramma! And we are making snickerdoodles - my favorite!!! Other things I am looking forward to this month: driving or walking around the neighborhood with the family to admire holiday lights while savoring yummy hot beverages, having a glass of Bailey's in front of the Christmas tree, listening to the sweet sound of children singing at Meg's chorus concert, teaching extra yoga classes to raise money for The PASSAGE House in Niagara Falls, watching all of the little ones in my family open their presents on Christmas day, sleeping in during my self-imposed vacation this month, eating Snickerdoodles for breakfast, and watching holiday movies (really want to see Four Christmases). I also am pondering starting a Winter Solstice tradition. I'm not exactly sure what, but I am thinking something that involves clearing clutter... any suggestions?

I hope you are enjoying the holiday season! What are you most looking forward to during this special time of year?

Photo credit

Friday Just Got Better

Hello! I hope you are having a Fabulous Friday!

I am in a strange pattern of alternating between cleaning the house and completing work tasks. I will sit at the computer for a bit and then go downstairs and vacuum. Feels a bit peculiar, but I am going with it...

Anyways, I was taking a mini-break in between phone calls and I just discovered that I won a blog give-away from Kelly Rae Roberts!!!!! I have never won a blog give-away before and I AM SO EXCITED!!!! Especially since I won a gorgeous bracelet from Gwynnie B Designs!!!!

Hence... Friday Just Got Better!

I typically take Friday as my day off and I have not honored that so far today. I was going to list for you all of my excuses why I am sabotaging my day off, but instead I am just going to get off of the computer and go get a pedicure :-)

Namaste,

Mindy