Notes from my mini-staycation

Hello Lovely Readers,

I hope you are doing well and enjoyed a day off today! I have been on a mini-staycation from my practice since last Thursday and have been soaking up lots of sun and relaxation!

I chaperoned a baseball game for my daughter's class, attended my darling niece's dance recital, helped my mom move, spent half a day in my pajamas doing nothing, finally cleaned off my desk, read 300+ pages of The Carrie Diaries, had blueberry pancakes for breakfast, discovered I love Seltzer water (never tried it before), held my 1 month-old nephew during his nap, went swimming, slept in, watched a parade, found fabulous black bean chipotle burgers, got sunburned twice despite sunscreen, saw Letters to Juliet, donned my new TranquiliT reversible sleeveless wrap dress, and took a long walk by the gorge. It has been so relaxing!

Now I've retreated to bed with my Planner Pad to look at the week ahead and I'm pining for more vacation! It feels like summer here already and I am dying to lounge around and read and nap and drink margaritas! I'm planning to move to a lighter schedule for July and August, working only Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday and I am looking forward to much more relaxation!

Small Changes Make a BIG Difference

Hello Lovely Readers!

I hope you are doing well! I have had a challenging past two weeks filled with overscheduling, stress, and other not-fun-stuff. Ever have that feeling like no matter how hard and long you work, you just can't get caught up? That is where I was at, but things have shifted now. Not because my to-do list magically disappeared (I wish!), but because I made some small changes.

First, I returned to writing my morning pages more faithfully. Second, I made up my mind that I can return emails and voice mails within 24 hours, as opposed to 24 minutes.

Lastly, I started a new ritual of taking a 30 minute mini-retreat each morning, an idea Zahra Efan listed in her most recent newsletter. This fits easily into my schedule because I always make my first appointment of the day at 9:30am. Usually I would spend the first half hour of my day checking email, returning voice mail, etc. Now I just wait until later in the day. Sounds simple, but it has made a BIG difference!

Ideas for a 30 minute mini-retreat:

• Meditate
• Sip coffee or tea
• Read a book
• Browse a magazine
• Practice yoga
• Listen to music
• Write in your journal
• Play in your visual journal
• Take a walk
• Sit outside and soak up some sun
• Go to the library (there is a library right next to my office!)
• Head to a coffee shop or bookstore

The ideas are pretty endless! It has been so divine to start my day with something that brings me joy! It feels a little rebellious too! I tend to operate from the "work first, play later" model so this morning mini-retreat is a real break from the mold for me! My days are unfolding in a much more relaxed flow since I started this morning mini-retreat. That is the paradox of self-care: when you take time to care for yourself you are more efficient and effective.

The image above is from Anna Corba. Not only does she craft gorgeous creations - she holds yoga and collage workshops in Sonoma and France - two of my favorite destinations!!!! I must attend one of them at some point - I am adding to my life's to-do list!

Have a great Thursday! And consider taking a mini-retreat today!

Spontaneous Mini-Artist Date

Hello! I hope you are having a fabulous weekend! I wanted to share a spontaneous mini-artist date I squeezed in late last week...

I arrived home after teaching and discovered I had 30 unplanned minutes to myself before dashing off to pick up my favorite girl from the sixth grade! Of course, the to-do list was there waiting and the dirty bathrooms were calling out for some cleaning, but I decided to do something to rejuvenate myself instead!

I had been dying to get outside and take some pictures of the gorgeous fall foliage. It seemed especially urgent since it already feels like winter here in Western New York! Which is kind of gross by the way and means I have to work extra hard not to be grouchy everyday that it is below 50 degrees, which is basically everyday for about the last two weeks. But I digress...

I took about 15 minutes to walk around the neighborhood and capture the autumn scenery. Here are a few of my pictures:



Just about the time my legs were beginning to go numb, I came back home for some peppermint tea and pumpkin bread - yum! I also discovered the newest issue of Real Simple in the mailbox - yay - and spent my last few minutes alone leafing through it and soaking up the splendid images!

I felt wonderfully refreshed after my spontaneous mini-artist date! I highly recommend squeezing in some "me time" wherever and whenever you can! Even five minutes can make a difference in your day.

Some ideas on how to refresh your soul in 5 minutes or less:

• Close your eyes and take 10 deep breaths
• Check your favorite blog
• Listen to an uplifting song
• Do a yoga pose in your chair
• Take out your journal
• Doodle on a sticky-note
• Take a short walk outdoors
• Enjoy a hot cup of tea or coffee

Wishing you many inspiring moments this week,

Mindy

Bliss before 5pm

I can't believe it's not even 5pm yet! I have done so many blissful things already today!

Started the day with a walk around our gorgeous neighborhood. Got sprinkled on a little but the air was warm enough that it didn't bother me. Came home for some coffee and yogurt with granola and blueberries - my favorite start to the day! After a shower, I checked email and made a few work-related phone calls. Then the hubby and I headed to the Farmer's Market. I have been daydreaming about going to the Farmer's Market for weeks! I marveled at all the yummy local fruit and veggies, but we finally settled on some corn (picked this morning!), cucumbers, eggplant, and red & green peppers. I think I've mentioned before my daydream about riding my bike to the Farmer's Market and yesterday my hubby got the call that the bike is ready to be picked up - so maybe next week!

After the market, Meg and I headed to Olive Garden for soup, salad, and breadsticks. Yum! I love their Minestrone soup! Full from our delicious lunch, we went for mom and me mani/pedi hour at the local nail place. I was thinking purple for my toes, but I was swayed at the last minute by the radiant red of Opi's An Affair to Remember. Meg and I came home from our afternoon out and decided we needed some down time. She planted herself in front of her computer and I planted myself in bed with The Red Tent. I am loving the women-centered celebrations of this book! As if this wasn't enough bliss for the day, after reading I treated myself to an extended home yoga practice complete with candles, Donna DeLory's sweet voice, and legs up the wall to Krishna Das. Aaaahhhhhhh..... Of course, no home yoga practice is complete without a cuddly fur baby to share it with! That is Milo above joining me on my mat! I love how you can see the ever-present cat hair on my black pants :-)

More than likely most of your days do not allow for so much free time dedicated to all the things you love best. I usually don't enjoy the privilege of so much wonderfulness in one day myself! Especially before 5pm! So here are some ideas for infusing your (work) day with bliss:

• Take a fresh air break. This is like a smoke break without the smoking! Think about it, if you work with people who smoke they likely go outside several times during the day and take a smoke break so go ahead and treat yourself to a fresh air break!

• Close your eyes and take ten deep breaths.

• Do a yoga pose at your desk. Go for a seated forward bend for a calming effect or a seated back bend to help you re-energize. I'm also a fan of the seated cat/cow and seated twist.

• Actually take your lunch hour! Where I used to work (you know like less than 2 weeks ago!), almost no one took an actual lunch hour, myself included. We gobbled down our lunch while working in front of our computers. Yuck! Go outside, eat with friends, take a walk, get a pedicure, read a book, catch up on your favorite blogs, write in your journal, do whatever refreshes you mid-day. The lunch break was invented for a reason!

Wishing you many blissful moments!

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July!

I hope that you are enjoying your Independence Day as much as I am!

I'll start with the great news: I passed my EPPP exam! Yay!

For the holiday weekend, I decided to take 2 consecutive days off from all work (a rarity) and I am loving it!

Last night I went to see Our Lady Peace, one of my favorite bands at a free outdoor concert. Today I started the day with a few cups of coffee and some homemade blueberry pancakes - yum! I took a nice long walk by Lake Ontario and picked some wildflowers for a bouquet, including a cool milkweed plant. Then I went kayaking for the first time - very fun! After a delicious lunch of veggie burgers and salads, I enjoyed some lakeside yoga at the gorgeous spot pictured above. Aaahhhhhh!

What a fabulous day so far! Now I'm enjoying a delicious strawberry mango margarita in the sunshine. Such a great day!

photo courtesy of my mom

What a fabulous day!

I was already feeling especially splendid today, with my licensure test being over and all, and then I opened my email and found this lovely treat! The super sweet Melita gifted me with this one lovely blog award! I'm such a newbie blogger and I am so very flattered by this!

Here are six other things I am completely, obnoxiously happy about today:

1. I went to the library this morning to check out books to read for fun!!!! I got Expecting Adam by Martha Beck and The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd. So excited for some leisurely reading!

2. After the library, I headed over to my daughter's chorus concert. The kids were awesome (and so cute, even though she hates when I say that) and they even sang "I'm holding out for a hero" from Footloose. Does anyone remember that song? I totally had that album when I was younger and I was about to sing along with them. Such a fun start to the day!

3. My amazon order came today. I sent for two work-related books that I am really looking forward to reading this summer: The Wise Heart by Jack Kornfield and The Healing Path of Yoga by Nischala Joy Devi.

4. The fact that books about yoga and Buddhist Psychology are actually considered work-related in my world!

5. My husband ate the leftover Chinese food for dinner and let me have the leftover Etouffee.

6. The de-cluttering e-course started on Monday, but I haven't had time to dive in yet so I'm making that a priority for tonight!

Here are some lovely blogs that I would like to pass this award onto:

Goddess Guidebook

I Need a Martini Mom

Boho Girl

Jen Lemen

The Whole Self

Penelope Dullaghan

I'm off to enjoy some reading before bed! Good night!

Postponing pleasure for the "right time"

"There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way." ~ The Buddha

I love this quote and I rely on it when I find myself in the kind of place I'm in right now. The place where I feel so focused on a task/deadline that I'm forgetting to just enjoy the process as I get there.

I'm so focused on preparing for my licensure exam on June 16. In a way it feels good. Comforting almost. To just focus on this one thing, day in and day out. I'm the type of person that relieves anxiety by over-preparing. So I'm studying and studying and studying. And I'm feeling pretty good about the test.

But I'm also finding myself skimping on my self-care. I skipped my yoga class last week. I have virtually abandoned my journal. I haven't even been reading my favorite blogs. I just feel very uninspired and it bugs me. I also hear myself thinking/saying everything will be great after June 16 when the test is over. I try to avoid thinking like that because I know there is always some other deadline or task waiting once I finish this one. Also, I don't believe in postponing pleasure until things are "just right" or everything on my to-do list is accomplished. Mostly because there isn't a perfect time for anything. Or a different way of saying it is that it is always the perfect time, including right now. Also, has anyone ever actually experienced an entirely completed to-do list with nothing else needing to be done? Not me.

I'm feeling such a struggle between working toward my goal and just being content in the moment. Deep down I know that taking a break and doing something for myself will actually make me more productive. It is what I try to convey through my work with others, but I still struggle to apply it to myself sometimes.

So what advice would I give to a client? Probably to just do it; just offer loving and joyful acceptance to herself exactly as she is right now, carve out some time to do something she loves (regardless of how jam-packed the schedule seems), and see what happens. I guess I will have to try out my own advice :-)

PS Today is my grandparents 54th Wedding Anniversary! Isn't that amazing? Happy Anniversary Mimi & Papa!!!