February's Living Wellness Theme: Love & Relationships

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I know some people who adore Valentine's Day and some who abhor it with the same passion! Personally I don't have strong feelings one way or another about it, but as I was contemplating February's theme it felt right to go with Love and Relationships. This month we will explore our love for ourselves and others through activities, journal prompts, practices, and juicy resources! (I promise you this will have none of the how-to-find-a-partner-so-your-life-will-be-complete flavor that seems to be so rampant in our culture.)

We will begin our exploration of this month's topic with a few Activities.

Send a Thank You Note

Take a few moments to consider someone who has had a positive impact on your life either recently or in the past. Pen a note to this special person thanking her for her kindness. Choose a beautiful card and take a few quiet moments to write about how she made a difference in your life. Imagine how your fifth grade teacher will feel when she opens a letter from you explaining how she inspired you to follow your dreams or what a difference it will make in your brother's day when he opens a note from you thanking him for always being there. I promise you will feel good too!

Schedule a Date

Schedule a date with someone important in your life. This might be your partner, best friend, sister, mother, son or daughter, grandparent, or yourself! It is vital that we make time for the relationships in our lives. Once the date is set, mark it in pen in your planner or datebook and treat it like an important business meeting. That means no canceling! This is especially important if you choose to schedule a date with yourself.

Leave a note in the comments and share your experience with these activities. I'll be back next week with a post on Journal Prompts related to this month's theme!

Look Within: Further Resources

One of my current Vision Cards. I apologize for the backward text; I'm still learning the ins and outs of my new MacBook!

For my last post of the month on Looking Within, I'll be offering up delicious resources for you to explore as you continue your Living Wellness journey!

I have been struggling a bit with this post because there are so many fabulous tools out there to choose from! Please know that this is by no means a complete list, but here are a few of my personal favorites when it comes to inner reflection and exploration! Feel free to share your own favorites in the comments section!

Books:

The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hahn

A wonderful introduction to mindfulness! I adore everything I've ever read by Thich Nhat Hahn. Another favorite of his is Peace is Every Step.

The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

This book has changed many lives, mind included! If you are looking for inner reflection and exploration, this is a great place to start.

Finding Your Own North Star by Martha Beck

Martha Beck has a fabulous writing style. I think she is simply hilarious! She explains ideas using tons of stories/examples and her style is very down to earth. Her books are packed with great, life-changing information.

Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach

I read this book each morning before I start my day. Truly one of the most inspirational books I've come across. There is also a companion workbook that I love!

Living Your Yoga by Judith Lasater

A great book about taking your yoga practice off the mat. Just gazing at this book brings me a feeling of peace.

Websites:

• www.goddessguidebook.com & Goddess Leonie's Goddess Circle

• Living Yoga website

• Jamie Ridler Studios (be sure to check out her Full Moon Dreamboard & Wishcasting Wednesdays)

Other Tools:

• Check out Papaya for a gorgeous selection of journals and sketchbooks

• Try using mala beads with your meditation practice (particularly useful for mantra meditation). I have been drooling over these gorgeous options.

• It is helpful to use a time while meditating. If you are like me and don't own a kitchen timer, visit here for a free online meditation timer that you can customize.

Look Within: Practices

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This week I'm offering up practices for our theme of the month, Look Within.

I believe that finding the practice that reconnects us with our inner voice or Authentic Self is a personal process. Some people find that running brings them back to their core. Others discover knitting does the trick. I believe what is happening in both of these scenarios is that we are in a meditative-like state. Sure running or knitting may not be what you think of when you picture meditation, but I consider any activity that holds your focus here in the present moment a sort of moving meditation. Other examples are yoga, painting, writing, and Tai Chi. This week let's play with a still meditation and a moving meditation.

Still Meditation Options:


To practice these options, find a comfortable seated position on the floor, a cushion, or in a chair. Close your eyes and begin by drawing your attention inward.

• Candle-gazing meditation (here is a description of this technique). I find this practice very relaxing.
  
• Counting breaths meditation: simply count your breaths. I usually decide ahead of time how many breaths I will sit for, 20, 50, or 100. You can also set a timer for 3 or 5 minutes. This is one of my favorite ways to meditate. It is simple and there is something to focus on (counting) which I find helps me quiet my mind.
• Mantra meditation: a mantra is any phrase or word you repeat to yourself. One of my favorites is "be here now" which I shorten to "here" on the inhale and "now" on the exhale. Other ideas are "let go" or "be present." You can use anything that is meaningful for you. There are many Sanskrit mantras to choose from as well, such as Om or Sat Nam.
• Lovingkindess meditation: this is the meditation I practice most frequently. It involves sending feelings of pure love and kindness to yourself and others while repeating a mantra. Here is a more thorough description.
  

Moving Meditation Options:

• Yoga
• Walking or Running
• Cooking
• Knitting
• Painting
• Cleaning
• Any activity where you feel totally absorbed in the task at hand!

Spend some time over the next week or so experimenting with different still and moving meditations. Take notes in your journal of how you feel before and after each practice. Discover what helps you look within and make it a part of your daily routine! I'd love to hear your thoughts on these practices - feel free to share in the comments!

Look Within: Journal Prompts

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As we continue to explore Looking Within, I invite you to spend some time responding to the following Journal Prompts:

What do I want? This seems like a simple question, but it is amazing how many of us are out of touch with our desires. Spend at least 3 minutes free writing your response to this question.

If time and money weren't an issue, I would...


While you are writing, try not to censor yourself. Don't worry about spelling or grammar, just allow whatever comes to mind to make it onto the page. Journal writing is very powerful, but it does not have to be a formal process. Simply write and compassionately observe what comes up!

I would love to hear about your Living Wellness journey! Please share your questions, thoughts, ideas, and insights in the comments section. Also, if you are looking to more fully explore your dreams, check out my Dare to Live Your Dreams Online Circle (starts today, but you can join at any time).

Living Wellness: Look Within

Hello Lovelies!

I hope you are doing well! As promised, this month kicks off a new feature on the blog called Living Wellness. Each month I will present a different theme to support you on your wellness journey. There will be weekly posts to encourage deeper reflection and exploration of the theme. The theme for January is Look Within.

January, the start of a new year, is the perfect time for reflection and reconnecting within. This week's post will focus on activities to help you look within. Carve out an hour or more for yourself, light your favorite candle, grab your journal and a cup of tea, and dive into some self-reflection!

Get in touch with your breath

I truly believe that the breath is one of the most direct routes to looking within. Close your eyes and begin to simply notice your breath without trying to change anything. Notice where you feel your breath as you inhale and exhale, observe how quickly or slowly you are breathing, and how deep or shallow your breaths are in this moment. Also, compassionately observe your mind and body. Notice what you are thinking and how you are feeling in this moment. Then begin to gently deepen the breath, inhaling and bringing breath deep down into the belly and exhaling emptying the lungs completely. After a few moments of deep breathing, open your eyes and notice the profound impact of this simple practice.



Review 2010 & Plan 2011

Reflect on the year that has just ended. What were your favorite moments? What did you learn? How did you learn it? What were your accomplishments? For a more extensive review, work with the prompts from Reverb 10. To help jog my memory of the year, I usually do this exercise with my planner nearby and review month by month.

Next, dream up what you'd like your life to look like in 2011. One way to do this is to list your goals/dreams for the year. When creating goals/dreams, I try to include at least one item from each of the areas of my life: physical health, relationships, life's work, service, spirituality, creativity, style, self-care, environment, and finances. You can read my 2010 year in review and 2011 goals here.

Another option for planning for 2011 is to create a Vision Board with images and words of your dreams and goals. Here is an example of one of my Vision Boards. Christine Kane offers a great e-book on Vision Boards. Visit her website and register (top right corner) to get a free copy.

Today I also came across this idea for planning for the new year. Go with whatever sounds most delightful to you! Have another creative way for planning for 2011? Share it with us in the comments section!

Visual Journal + Business Brainstorming

Visual representation of my personal brand, Living Wellness

Cover of idea notebook for new program, The Living Wellness Lifestyle for Women

Graphic representation of The Living Wellness Lifestyle for Women

Creating these visual images must have really gotten my creative juices flowing because I outlined this entire program at lightning speed afterward! I even created a flyer and set dates!

This program represents the culmination of several months of brainstorming on how to combine my passion for yoga and expertise in personal growth in order to best serve my clients. During this six week course we will practice yoga and meditation and dive into topics like stress reduction, nutrition & exercise, goal setting & time management, communication & relationships, and self-care.

The Living Wellness Lifestyle for Women will begin Thursday, May 20th. It will be held at Tree of Life Yoga Studio in Niagara Falls for six consecutive Thursdays from 6:30-8:00pm. I am limiting the program to 10 participants so if you are interested, please contact me right away at 716-939-0892 or mscime710@roadrunner.com

I hope that you can join me on what is sure to be an inspiring and fun-filled journey!

Namaste,

Mindy