 My private prayer space from a very powerful moment in '16 when I had to hand embrace vulnerability at the foot of the cross and take anothers hand. What are you carrying today?
Every day we wake up we are inevitably carrying more than we can handle at that given moment. Each day is filled with responsibilities big and small, thoughts of others in our lives who need our hand and at the foot of our day are our (cross) pains, struggles, wounds, trials and stories that we are carrying to an unknown resting place. What are you carrying? It is likely that there is one thing in your life that is holding you down at times; not every day, not every moment, but taking up space that is not allowing you to live more fully. What are you carrying? Hold this. Live this. Breathe this. Release this. Allow your being to be open to the world in front of you, not those stories that you carried for so long which hold nothing but darkness. Allow your light to come.
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 When we face obstacles and wounds with an open heart, we are able to extend our soul for the joy that we receive from our stories, from our sorrow. How are you walking into your sorrow to allow Joy this week?
 How good are we to ourselves if we are only ‘living for others?’
We are 'helping' people in a world that does so much at times to bring people down. We want to 'make it all better' when it feels hopeless. Are we taking care of ourselves in the same loving way that we take care of others? Not always, and not intentionally. It is easy to forget ourselves. There are never enough hours in a day. It is important to step back and ask ourselves how we can live a more authentic life. How can we practice what we preach and instill the values that we believe into personal practice? A journey that deserves to be honored. The journey we walk in life prepares us for each step of the way forward, the journey allows us to take on each challenge with wisdom, faith and more perspective. By taking care of myself I am honoring my life to the fullest. I am teaching others around me invaluable lessons on self-care, honoring one’s stories, and believing in their dreams alongside their journey. We can simultaneously take care of ourselves and those in our lives by living and trusting in an authentic life. Honor the road that was meant for you, honor the path that calls you, honor the voice within and live authentically you!  I love this quote. It speaks to the soul of my work; it speaks to soul story within that is always waiting to be embraced. Sometimes we go silent to protect the trauma of our past; silence is protecting our soul. Sometimes we go silent within to dig deep to our strength before we reach the point of reclaiming. Sometimes we go silent waiting for our soul work to embrace the defining moment to voice our story. When you walk with others within your soul story, you enter a very special community of women. There is nothing that can compare to the special moments that grow out of these bonds, these stories of strong, exceptional and genuine women. How are you walking on your journey today? How are you living your story? Are you ready to reclaim your one and true voice?  Flowers made by my children over 10 years ago to cheer me up. Are you light?
We walk through each day witnessing countless stories around us that range from struggle to joy. Even amidst the joy, I am almost certain there is a hidden pain beneath the surface. Are you paying attention? It is easy to walk by; it is easy to focus on our immediate concerns. But what if you were to pause, stop and ask someone how their day is actually going? What if you paid someone a compliment for no other reason than to brighten their day? I have been practicing this mindfulness for decades and it sincerely can change the course of the day for me, but most certainly for another. I take myself out of my own personal stress and I walk through the day the way I want to see it in all its beauty. We must be the love. We must be the change. Lift up, not down. I have written letters to my now teenagers their entire life; holidays, birthdays and just because, I am a letter writer at heart. As a single mom watching the days tick down as they are soon both off to college, I wanted to write something more. This is what came...I had wanted to keep this private but have been strongly encouraged to share for others sake as well. Please respect the sacred nature and remind those in your life how you feel about them. Time is short on this earth, and you never know what tomorrow will bring you; goodbyes can be unexpected.   Monthly Mandala Feature w/a twist!
You have heard me speak to this throughout my work. Mandalas are a core aspect of my journey. They truly are different than other modalities you may have seen or tried. I believe they all have amazing merit for each person is walking a different path. If you have experienced Mandalas with me on our retreats or workshops FEEL FREE TO SHARE BELOW about your experience, I know others would love to hear about it. If you are interested in walking through your own mandala watching how it unfolds your path to see where you may be missing the mark, come on our OWNING OUR STORIES Women's Yoga & Meditation Retreat next month! Now this is the time to really kickstart all those amazing ideas you had written down at the start of the new year. I promise you; you won't be disappointed!  This speaks for itself, but I want to add to is.
Are you living your best life? Are you living with the most amazing potential that is your birth right? Think about it for a moment. Are you living your life for others before yourself? Are there dreams you have that are endlessly pushed to the side? We can have responsibilities in life and have dreams. Read that again. The kids do not need to be grown before you get to take care of yourself. The life around you or people you care for in your life can be a priority alongside your own. If we don't lift ourselves up, it is very possible no one else will. I live against the grain at times. I don't hurt or neglect others, including myself. When I live this way I am living a balanced life. I am more at peace than I am in distress. Can you take that step to living your best life today? Take a baby step and do one small thing for yourself today alongside your responsibilities. I promise you; it will offer you what you need.  "May we eat with mindfulness and gratitude so as to be worthy to receive this food. This food is the gift of the Earth, the sky, numerous living beings and much hard work and loving work." - Thich Nhat Hanh
We have talked about mindful and intuitive eating many times throughout this work. But I am going to focus on a different perspective. Food. I love food. 14 years of anorexia was never about me not liking food, rather the journey I walked with inner soul work and the old stories and lies I told myself that I needed to release. Today we are bombarded regularly with every diet under the sun that is the perfect one for optimal health. We have created ideas around food that are dangerous, and we have taken intuitiveness out of the equation as if we can't trust ourselves. Food is often labeled as good and bad, when it all serves the one purpose to nurture. Are there foods that are more processed than others? Sure. Do we love some of those foods? Absolutely. Will they harm us if we eat them? Realistically, no, not in moderation. The bottom line is that one, we don't know anyone else's financial make up. In the end we are all doing the best we can. It is up to each person to live a journey that feels comfortable for them in their own period. I have seen many walk into what is best for their body and change their food plans more than once. They only got to their place of balance because they walked into it themselves. Not because of endless moments of judgement, berating or labeling what is 'right or wrong' in terms of food. Life is short. Learn to enjoy. Learn to love. Learn to listen to what works for you. How often do you pause to be mindful of the food you are eating? Are you eating breakfast in the car on your way to work? Do you grab lunch at your work desk? Are you taking the time to eat with your loved ones at the dinner table? |
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