Inviting negativity into your life and meeting it head on requires awareness and acceptance . . . mostly it requires necessary space for simply being in it.  Surrendering into the pain rather than running from it can bring death to suffering.  For mental afflictions not only cause suffering to ourselves and others, but they also obstruct our attainment of happiness. 

Internal states are our true enemy -- for they will haunt us for the rest of our lives.  We have a better shot of hiding from an external enemy but no matter where we go, the internal enemy remains our enemy until we learn how to break free.

Afflictions will haunt you in your daydreams and come into your subconscious in the form of nightmares, like a ghost who's bullying the new residents. You can run from those ghosts but you cannot hide -- not until you square up and grow up can you re-gain the power to stand your ground.

It's time to let go of attachment to form . . . of the projection of expected future outcome and that tight hold on the past.  Past delusions set the tone for our present and future existence.  Therefore we must find a sense of neutrality.

Time is an illusion; it's just a story.   The present is in each now moment.  Only in the felt sense of each present moment can we deeply experience life, to feel the pings, to receive those A-HAs and empty the self in order to realize the greater Self or the Essence of the Heart.

Open-hearted receptivity permits a letting go of the story to allow intimacy with Self.  Self trust leads to self regulation which leads to focused, purposeful engagement with life.  By simply observing -- rather than reacting -- we become witness to Self.  There's a feeling of being in the earth but not of it.  Without rigid adherence to time and space, we let go of taking things literally and leave room for symbolic vision.  We lift from the limited 3D egoic perspective to see there's an interrelatedness with others, with Mother Nature.  We learn to use sensations in the body as indicators of our triggers.  With practice, we learn to stay in neutrality or equanimity -- without feeling but just in flow with Source energy.  Only in the stillness, in the silence, within the heart is there endless joy -- a newfound sense of re-discovery - a connection with the magic of the mystery. 

YES you can escape suffering and enJOY the journey of Self discovery -- of reawakening a sense of self mastery.  

• Isn't it time to step out of the box to regain your power? 
• Are you ready and willing to step out of the fear and into acceptance, gratitude, power, genuine compassion and love?

Are you ready to ask? 
Are you willing to receive?  

Isn't it time to Be . . . to be Divinely inspired?

1. Start by observing the sensations of the body. 
2. Notice.  Feel the fear or whatever seems to threaten your sense of identity.  Feel it in your racing heart, your sweaty palms. 
3. As you simply observe while remaining equanimous, watch the fear (pain, sadness, anger, resentment, etc.) naturally pass. 
4. Through disciplined action and a commitment to non-attachment, you change. 

Every situation offers opportunity to experience discomfort, to gain new faculties, to create new neural pathways . . . to find the answers your soul is seeking. 

The mind stubbornly resists getting into the being as it has become adept at getting stuck in it's own subjective experiences.  The validation you are looking for does not come from without.  The feedback you're seeking needs permission from Self, with provision from Source.  There's a higher knowledge pulling you, a purification that's continuously flowing through you-- if you simply allow it.  

Don't fool yourself with the thinking that once you get enough money, you'll kick back and enJOY . . . No . . .  that college degree hanging on your wall doesn't give license to become complacent.  Realization does not come about without continual -- honest effort. 

Being isn't the lazy way; it's an art.  Your being is your instrument of discernment, for being gives you a taste of what it feels like to truly have realizations.  Each of us is a practitioner of life . . . transmitters of lineage.  Only by reflecting deeply upon your own experience can you validate or make your own determination of the authenticity of the teachings or path for which you choose to follow.

"A Buddha transmits teachings in ways tailored to the diverse aptitudes and diverse physiological and psychological states of practitioners."   Genuine compassion requires wisdom or understanding of your suffering blended with loving kindness.  (Essence of the Heart Sutra, pg. 47).  

Remember . . . you set the tone for your life.  All you have to do is Walk your Talk.  You are an important reSource for living a resilient life that artfully blends the mind with the heart.  When the heart and mind are aligned, you can't go wrong.  There's magnetism.  There's magic.

We are all sparks of Divinity. Taking care of you and doing the work to get in touch with yourself to feel more connected and alive invites the universe to provide validation, encouraging you to pay it forward to others!

After a debilitating stroke that left my 89-year-old mother-in-law wheelchair bound and convalescing in a long-term care facility, I was asked to do a personal history assessment so the caregivers can get a better understanding of mom's personality and needs.  When I asked her what she disliked the most, her response, "Silence."  "Silence makes me feel dead.  When it's silent, I have to fill the space with something or I get too anxious."

Our fast-paced, tech-driven world has most of us absorbed in doing, in busyness, with distraction.  Many of us can relate to the discomfort of being alone or left in a state of silence.  Can you?

It took me thirty years to surrender into stillness.  Diving deeply within to get in touch with the YOU hidden within is such an indescribable, amazing, and empowering experience. I was so busy that I overlooked the YOU that was so deeply buried within me.

Who has time for this nonsense, this hokey-pokey spiritual crap? Don't these spiritual people have a life?

That's what I used to think . . . But, diving deeply saved my life. Just when I thought I couldn't do it anymore . . . the rush to work, the rush home to make dinner only to speed-clean the house, the rush to get kids to sports and other after-school activities, the rush to get done homework and neglected projects , . . . only to rush . . . Rush . . . RUSH SOME MORE!

The rush can take YOU over if you don't know how to put on the brakes. Unfortunately, my kids were getting brainwashed; to do whatever they were told, to mindlessly rush in whatever direction instructed. To cope or escape, many of our overworked, exhausted, robotic kids are putting their heads into devices, into drugs and alcohol, or other forms of distraction to drown it all out – to turn it all off.

Our heads are so over-fried by stimuli . . . parents are splashing a little alcohol into their solo cups to accompany them to after-school practices and games just to make it feel like the weekend, to escape the structured rigidity of the hectic work week,  Kids are racing off when there's a rare minute to spare “to play” -freely with friends on Xbox, on iPads, or on iPhones.

Many of us are huffing and puffing, commiserating with each other, hoping for the weekend, a vacation, or a day off to just get away from it all.

Unfortunately, that longed-for vacation doesn't actually solve the root of the problem. Most of us return from vacations needing a vacation. And while away, many worry about what should be getting done.  In the meantime, mail continues to pile up. Work is waiting to get done. The vacation needs to be paid!  There's no escaping yourself.

So what's the answer? YOU! YOU hold the answers to every question. YOU hold the key to creating that longed-for sense of peace and calm. YOU can create whatever YOU want. It all starts with YOU.

When you can't seem to find your way, you simply must PAUSE --  to stop trying to keep pace with the world; to stop searching for answers from others. When you're feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and out-of-control, you can bet that your kids and everyone around you pick up your stressful, low vibe and feel it too.

                   Unless YOU control YOU, the world will step in and do it for you.

Here are 9 Ways To Stop the Rushing 
​ . . . instead of mindlessly jumping out of bed to hit the ground running, wake up a few minutes earlier. Trust me, it's worth it.
1.  Get out of bed and just lay on the ground and stretch. Simply move your body however it needs. Stretch your legs, your back, your neck and breathe.
2.   Next, come into a comfortable sitting position with your back erect, hands gently folded upward in your lap, and breathe.  Take natural inhalations from your nose, followed by long, slow, full exhalations from your mouth.  Do this until you feel connected and settled into your body. 
3.    Then, set your intention for the day. Tell the world how happy you are to be in it, alive and breathing. 
4.    Continue observing your breath. Simply watch your breath come in and go out. Don't try to control it. Stay as detached as you can, watching your breath as though it belongs to someone else. Let it all go.
5.    Jump into shower.  Visualize the water washing away any tension, allow all the stress to drop down into the drain.  
6.    Get dressed into something that expresses how you want to feel.  Pick a color and fabric that makes you feel uplifted and ready to begin your day.
7.   Throughout your day, try to remember to escape back to your breath -- at your lunch break, when you're waiting at the doctor's office, at soccer practice; simply go within and observe your breath.
8.   Appreciate YOU.  Show thanks to your body for how hard it works for you. Be kind with yourself. Be thankful for not having to think about having to make your heart beat.  Relish in the knowing that your miraculous body was created to work without you're having to think about it.
9.  TRUST in the knowing that all systems are working and are under control, so YOU can allow your mind to be put to better use . . . to unlock creativity & imagination, to find freedom of expression, to fulfill your life purpose,  and to re-discover your True Beauty Within.

So, use that amazing creation of yours to take control of your mind inside the SILENCE - to merge the body and mind using your breath. Once connected, the mind and body can do amazing things together, without feeling rushed.  A calm, focused mind can help the body to heal, can envision great things, and can trust an open heart. 

When you teach the mind to replace negative thinking with positive affirmations and do so consistently, YOU change. Everything seems more beautiful, more colorful.  New grooves begin to replace old ones and thinking positively comes more naturally. Positivity brings about gratitude and invites love, making YOU more magnetic. There's a shift that comes about . . . there's SPACE or room for spirit to enter. That busy, overwhelmed mind that once created a stressed, fitful body couldn't hear spirit knocking. But now that YOU  gave silence a fair shot,  YOU realize there's clarity . . . YOU have choice. 

Only a clear, actively calm mind in connection with a well-regulated, restful body can fully access spirit's pure, free-flowing energy.  The silence is where you find the answers, it's where life begins to enter to guide YOU upon your blissful, ever-changing journey into joy.

You don't have to believe in any particular type of God or practice any rigid religion.  It's all about focus.  Yes. Hokus Pokus FOCUS.  Re-direct your focus inwardly to turn your back on the world for just a few minutes a day in order to look within. Faith begins with YOU. YOU have the answers. Retreating into stillness will provide the peace you need to solve all of life's problems.

No expensive vacation needed.  No coach to hire.  Simple gratitude, mindfulness and breath are free and easy techniques that you can trust and rely upon whenever you need to escape to recharge and find peace. There's no need to waste your time, energy, or money depending upon others to fix your problems when you possess the tools to do the job yourself.

I ask for clarity; I ask for guidance; I ask that I do not waiver in the throes of chaos, for this world always offers contrast, drama, and evil. How can I stay even when everything and everyone around me is affected by the highs and lows of life?  I want to remain neutral. To be without this or that . . . without being defined and limited by the "musts" the "shoulds," the rules of an external, competitive world. How do I balance these energies? How do I teach my children to stay in balance? How do I rest in peace while living? How do I find ease and grace? To speak lovingly, kindly, from a full heart, without an agenda, without a need to prove or to impress but instead to simply BE . . . to be full, to be continually grateful and to be in the knowing that I am already complete. I am connected with all things. I am LOVE. I am light.

Well child. You have. You just offered your intention. Everything is vibrational. Everything is intentional, but your asking comes from the body, from a sincere heart, from a deep, felt sense, not from just the mind. For the mind is our human gift; the gift that allows creative work – creative imaginable forward-constructive action. For the mind can envision and manifest that which it imagines. The mind, like the tongue, can build beauty or it can destroy. So mindfulness is key. Mindful, conscious awareness.

Everything is energy child. For it is simply that which you choose to focus. As you have aligned with Me, with My will, with My high vibrational frequency, you are offered opportunities to soar – to think in alignment with what is in your highest best and to do that which is in the highest best of all. When you are able to tune your frequency consistency in alignment with a frequency that does not waiver, you have the backdrop for consistently gaining the momentum necessary to become Self-realized, for self-regulation, and for being able to wobble but not fall. To have flexibility. To become resilient -- To not be affected by compliments or criticism for you know fully who you are --

Accept who you are.  You are a divine vibrational beautiful spark of the highest Light. You are love. You are a creator, a co-creator who has free will, free choice. You are a co-creator who can align herSelf with Truth, with love, with all that is. You are everything. You are no-thing. You are pure light. As you allow your glow to shine boldly, carefully tend to the light, nurture your flame, feed it the oxygen of the Holy Spirit, so you may feed others.

As you stay lit . . . consistently . . . boldly . . . confidently . . . full of the knowing that you are thySelf. You are Light itself. Others will naturally come towards your light. So stay lit, stay true, stay full of love, gratitude, devotion, respect for life, respect for the ignorance of others, with patience and courage to allow . . . as you soften . . . as you surrender to the flow of pure energy and to allow It to flow through you -- from your grounded, grateful feet so divinely placed here on this Earth, here to realize her highest potential . . . to be used as a channel for the divine energy to flow freely and affect highly the energy and potential of others . . . to flow from the crown, opening and allowing the highest Light to enter, to guide, to pervade the body and to flow effortlessly . . . then child, you are a clear container for which I can shine forth your brilliance.

For each of us simply reflects the light of one another. For what you see in others is what is vibrationally active in you. For to see love, requires being filled with love. When you see chaos, competition and threat, you ignore the truth -- you lack faith -- for you are indeed safe, you are unconditionally loved, you are capable, you are enough -- Just as you are -- You are imperfectly perfect.

Continue to seek that which brings your heart joy. Continue to return home throughout the busy day, returning inwardly into the darkest recesses of your soul. For your comfort, your brilliance, your true Essence lies within. Your inner being is awaiting your return in order to nurture, caress, hold, refuel, and re-ignite . . . as you consistently seek inwardly, you receive inspiration necessary to aspire. . . to use newfound energy to find focus in order to take action that is purposeful, joyful, and rejuvenating. Fly child. SOAR freely in the knowing that you are already whole.

With my head so full of thoughts, I had no where to go. I had no flow. I needed to unwind the thoughts in order to see that I was not part of the pattern. With movement, I could observe my thoughts.  I could see the related nature of negative attraction of thought. When I was able to hold the thoughts in awareness and relax into my body, they could pass. But I needed to create space using my breath, to connect my mind with my body, to merge them so the thoughts and pains could flow and discharge. This circular, spiral movement quickly moved the tension out from my body and gave me a sense of clarity and ease. It was as if the negativity rolled right off of me. I was no longer bottlenecked. I could feel a sense of spaciousness.
​

Rhythmic movement gave me a sense of ease and flow. As I accepted the moment and relaxed into it, I realized that it was not conditions causing my unease and unhappiness, but instead it was my mind telling me something about the conditions around me. Ultimately, it was up to me to be able to observe my thoughts so not to become swept into the negative spiraling current, completely swallowed up by thoughts. Instead, I had awareness and could notice that I am the creator, the orchestrator, the one who chooses the thought lane in which I wish to travel upon. I could choose: to melt and relax into my Essence so to feel in agreement with mySelf or to tune into the worldly collective negative thought vibration, one that keeps me feeling in disagreement with mySelf.

Light and love, what a Divinely powerful combination. Love is creativity. Light is information. They are the magic combination for aligning ourselves to the authentic, magnificent, powerful Self.

Stars shine brightly to remind us to look up and remember; to connect, to open up our hearts so we may receive the information they transmit. High vibrational frequency is abundantly present at this time on Earth and is affecting us all.

The most recent harvest, blood moon is a reminder for us to tidy up our lives, to get rid of what no longer serves. To purge and release; to let go of the old. To allow ourselves to let go of pain and suffering, to drop old ways of living, including unhealthy thinking, eating, and behaving, to permit freedom by lifting density. Moving out from thought-centered living into a more heart-centered perspective enables a collective shift into a higher realm; a realm more closely connected with self, with others, with nature, and with Spirit.

We are shifting from a three-dimensional perspective, from living in the mind of thoughts, of ego, into a fifth-dimensional frequency where we see with the heart, with forgiveness and love. By seeing with love and by using the body and the heart as mechanisms to process the influx of light, we can become more open -- for absorbing information via intuition. We can learn to trust the heart as the portal for connection in discovery of purpose, of Truth.

This shift is a step-by-step process. The higher energy on earth at this time is enabling us to bring emotions forth so that we may purge, shed, and release them to make room for our real work: ridding the self of negative thinking, low-vibrational habits like negative self talk, blame, anger, hatred, jealously, anxiety, and worry. Shifting into the heart opens up the portal for release, allowing feelings of kindness, sincerity, compassion, patience, unity, peace, and love to replace negativity and pain, thus speeding up our collective progress.

Commitment to getting aligned with Self, through reflection and diligent self study, brings awareness . . . for understanding . . . for forgiving and accepting the self . . . for forgiving and accepting others.  The relationship with self forms the firm ground or essential foundation for all other forward-flowing interactions.

A grateful, self-loving, and self-forgiving self finds inner calm and joy that lives in the heart; this positive frequency will radiate out into the world, onto others, attracting positive energy and assisting in creating a New Earth.
xo
-Jewels

Tension and Trauma Release Exercises [TRE] is a simple tool that can help provide the foundation or map to guide us back to rediscovering simple joy and hope within ourselves and humanity. As we take part in this practice in a group setting, we are invited into a shared experience, one that re-orients us back . . . to love, balance and peace in the midst of what often appears to be a fractured, violent world.

This safe, gentle, self-care tool offers an opportunity for balance, a sense of wholeness and kindness, and learning what we once knew instinctively as children – how to playfully self-regulate naturally.

As we learn how to turn our focus inwardly, towards exploring the self, we cultivate an awareness for bringing ourselves back to the present moment, to our direct experience – to notice the pull of apana, the outward energy that drags us into the past or pulls us into the future.

When we have the urge to disconnect from the reality of the present moment, TRE can help us pause and connect to our feelings as we feel them, without attaching a story or a narrative to that feeling – witnessing feelings as they arise as opposed to identifying with them (e.g., “I am angry” vs. “I am an angry person) allows prana, life force energy, to flow in a forward-enhancing manner so we can release or let go of what's been keeping us stuck. As we keep coming back to the body, we can learn to stay with whatever sensations arise, so that we may soften inwardly as opposed to looking outside ourselves for nourishment and grounding.

Self-regulation is tool of negotiation for re-orientation, helping us balance the energies that draw us inward and the ones that take us outward. As we gain mastery, we recognize what energy is our own versus what energy belongs to another. In doing so, we create space – space to make decisions, to see problems as opportunities for choice, to accept things and people, especially ourselves, just the way they are. With acceptance, we can grow up, to be authentic, to go forward with being okay with not being okay – to live gracefully with uncertainty. When we're able to be it and not just think it, all relationships get better.

To let what happens happen is what TRE practice is all about. With consistency and willingness to just let go, you get results. It's in giving up control and the need to be goal-focused that you may reacquaint with child-like curiosity and wonder, to rediscover the joy and magic in the mystery of life – for re-focusing, for seeing the sacred in everyday experience, for bringing you back to living – fully alive.

TRE will help you to slow down, to remember your interconnectedness to the Mystery, to each other, and to all things in our world. TRE is an effective way to know, first-handedly, wholeness and peace – to feel the gift of it, in your own heart so that you can speak and act from that place.

Everything lies within you to HEALTHY SELF.

Blessings xo – Juliette Gamble
​www.healfromthecore.com

Yes STRESS is a REALITY.   But stress is a choice.

We use the word STRESS so much that it's become a cop out.

Louise Hay taught me how to learn to trust myself. Her positive affirmations reminded me to think about what stress really means . . . . stress = fear. 

The universe responds to our willingness and helps us find the way.
​
Next time you notice how stressed you are . . ask yourself . . . 

What are you frightened about?

How are you overloading yourself?

What are you doing to burden yourself?

What are you doing to yourself that's creating fear within you so you don't have inner harmony and peace? 

Don't just use one little word as a cop out.

Inner harmony is being at peace with yourself –
When at peace, you do things one thing at a time. Don't let things get to you. You can't have stress and inner harmony at the same time.

If you're feeling stress, Ask yourself . . .
How can I release this fear?
How can I be at peace with myself?
What can I do?

Nothing has any power over you  Don't give a little word like stress power over you. You are the power.
You are powerful.
You're the one who can make the change.
​
Life is easier and more fun when you love yourself. You have to come from a loving space of the heart and practice until it becomes permanent. People resist loving themselves. But when you do, you enjoy waking up. You're glad to find yourself there.

I know now because I love getting up everyday!

Everyday, every step of the way, is the day for change. I start my day by affirming, “Today I breathe in only love, light, and positivity, nurturing my body and soul. With every exhalation, I blow out all negativity, sending my fears and worries along with it."

Today I choose to be open; to smile and to laugh.
Today I am grateful.
Today is a beautiful blessing knowing that the universe is on my side.

Intentionality and positivity raise my vibration and make me feel lighter, filling me with feelings of love and light.

A higher vibration alerts the world that I'm ready, willing and open to inviting positivity and it rewards me by sending abundance my way.

Today is the day to write a new script for my life.  How about you?
​
​

I am committed to making change:

I AM HONEST.
I AM WILLING TO FIND OUT.
I AM NOT JUST LIVING ON AUTO-PILOT, saying this is JUST THE WAY I AM or JUST WHAT I DO.

TO CHANGE, I NEED . . . 


to FEEL good enough.
If I love myself, then others will love me. I had to learn and practice unconditional love.
*loving affirmations
*gratitude journal
*loving-kindness meditations

Loving myself wasn't easy at first. But learning unconditional love first for myself, no matter what they've said to me or did to me in the past, invites the world to love me unconditionally. 

If I want love and peace for others in my life, I must do this for myself first so that I can teach others how to come from a loving place of the heart.

to FORGIVE myself.
Forgiveness of others first comes by forgiving myself. 

to Ask Myself:
How do I give love to the world?
How do I help?
What do I do to create my own inner harmony?
What do I do on a daily basis to make myself feel good inside?
Do I sit around and complain about what I don't have?
Am I mad at myself and others, blaming, playing the victim?
How do I express unconditional love in my life?
Is there a small area in my life where I am willing to give unconditionally?
How am I experiencing peace within and around me?
If I'm not doing anything currently to experience peace within and around myself, am I willing to begin?
Am I ready to create inner harmony and peace?
Do I really want to change or do I want to sit and complain about what I don't have?
Do I want to become a person who really has or creates a much more wonderful life?

AND TO KEEP ASKING MYSELF:
What do I really believe about this?
What do I feel?
Do I really want to do what they're asking me?
WHY do I want to do this?.

WHY do I do it?
If what I am doing is NOT POSITIVE or NOURISHING, where did it come from?
Was it something that was taught to me as a child?  If I can notice, maybe it's time to let it go. I don't need it anymore.

IF I BELIEVE THAT IT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS, I CAN'T CHANGE.
IF I BELIEVE THAT I KNOW EVERYTHING, a KNOW-IT-ALL, THEN I CAN'T CHANGE. There's just no room to let a new idea to get in.

I MUST BE WILLING TO LEARN & GROW.
I NEED TO BE WILLING TO WORK TOWARDS MORE UNDERSTANDING, KNOWLEDGE, & AWARENESS.

TO EXPERIENCE LIFE DIFFERENTLY . . . 
I don't berate what used to be.
Instead, I . . . 

Learn more.

Study.

Read books.

Listen to tapes.

Talk to other people.

Learn about myself.

Learn about my beliefs.

Learn about the way my particular mind works in a way that enhances my life.

Explore new avenues.

Allow new ideas in.

Expand consciousness.

I CONTINUE ASKING MYSELF HONESTLY:

How do I reject my myself?
Where am I not accepting?
What pattern addiction do I have? 
How can I change this negative addiction into a positive one?
Why don't I become addicted to loving myself?
Why don't I become addicted to doing positive affirmations.  To become addicted to something that supports and loves me?

*Louise Hay offers pure and powerful positive affirmations for change and growth.  (See Video Below)

​

My greatest teacher is the MIRROR. 
Out there is always a mirror --a reflection of the rejection we have within us.


As I learned to look into the mirror in Bikram Yoga class, I learned how to use that mirror as a reflection of the {rejection, shame, doubt, fear, anger, negativity} I have within me.  Realizing that we all have pattern addictions, patterns that we adopt to keep ourselves from being in present time, as a way of getting away from being where we are and from knowing what's really going on, then I became more accepting of myself and with others.  Addictions go beyond just the chemical kind.  We can be addicted to food, finding fault in people, fear, debt, and rejection. 

Now, I am less afraid of "seeing" myself honestly, for noticing thoughts and patterns, for experimenting with new ways of thinking and being.  As I love myself more, I don't feel rejected by anyone and even if they do reject me, I don't pay any attention to it.

With mindfulness, I grow more confident.  More patient.  More accepting.   I'm learning how to go inside to look to see what's there. 

Daily journaling and positive affirmations help me to recognize patterns so that I can begin to change them.  

Practicing inner peace helps me to connect with Spirit, to tune into my higher Self.  I like feeling connected on a soul level.  I like sending out good vibes into the world.  I love feeling intimately connected with Source, especially  with the realization that I don't need a middle man to do the job for me.

As I see how thoughts make me feel, especially when I'm connected with Source in meditation, I can hear my own inner wisdom. 

Trusting that I have the answers I've been looking for within is empowering.  I simply need to quiet my mind down long enough to hear them.  


Change comes when I make up my mind, not to just sit back and wait for the world to change, but realizing that changing my thoughts gets me on my way to greater change - to finding inner peace and harmony so I can see that inner peace and harmony reflected in the world.

The world can seem angry, chaotic, and blaming - especially if that's how I'm feeling on the inside.  Violence, unrest, disharmony, and negativity stream incessantly on our radio waves . . . if I choose to tune my attention outwardly.  Life may appear to be a race to nowhere, where I feel stuck treading on a perpetual treadmill, where time seems to be quickly slipping away.  But I have the power to change my course, and it's as easy as making up my mind.

If you're feeling like I do, like there's something missing, that there's more, THERE IS!   There are more joyful things in life than simply paying bills, clocking in, cooking dinners, cleaning toilets, grocery shopping, and mowing the lawn. When all I saw was the routine and the drudgery, I wasn't eager to jump out of bed in the morning.  Nope, I wanted more but I wasn't sure exactly what it was that I was looking for. 

CHANGE is something I wanted everyone else to do. 
If everyone else would just change, my life would be different! 

I learned, like most, the hard way.   

Change that I am going to see must come from within myself. 

Change is about moving myself from feeling separate, isolated, lonely, fearful, angry and in pain into a state of peacefulness where I could relax and really enjoy life as it comes to me. 

Lasting change only comes about when I genuinely believe that everything will be alright. 
******************************************************************

Letting go of fear is not an easy task! 
*I had to learn how to replace my fear with love, especially with loving myself. 
*I had to tell my mind to ease up long enough to let my heart feel: love, safety, nurturance, meaning, identity, and belonging. 
*Mostly, I had to feel deserving of love.

******************************************************************

Yes, life conditions and hardens us.  We all have our fair share of sh*t, and fear does a number on us. 
*Fear keeps us from going within. 
*Fear can keep us from finding out that we have all the power to save ourselves.  *Fear kept me living as a victim, looking outside of myself for answers. 
As a victim, I felt isolated, in pain, and searching for someone to do it for me.   

Responsibility is scary.  It's easier to make excuses and to blame others, but how could I change my experiences if I didn't take responsibility for my own life.

Bikram yoga helped me to find space to observe my thoughts so that I could change them.  This wasn't easy at first, but in time, with practice and much patience, I learned how to release old beliefs and habits and began trying out new beliefs, behaviors, and methods, and in turn, experienced newfound FEELINGS! 

I'm not going to kid you . . . this period of back and forth had me angrier than ever.  Trying on anything new takes time.  As I learned how to become more patient with myself, I accepted the anger as part of the process.  With more and more acceptance, I eventually settled into new habits and slowly began building myself up with more positive thoughts rather than beating myself down with negativity.

I learned . . .
*to take baby steps -
*to take each day as it comes.
*to start from right where I am in each moment. 
*to watch my words and to make little alterations.  For instance, when I catch myself using the word can't, like in:  "I can't do that."  I change "can't" to "won't."  "I won't do that" gives me a whole different imagery. 

I replaced old habits with rituals: 

NOW . . .

In the morning, I take some time to reflect. I write.  The first page or two that I write is simply a mind dump.  I dump all that's there to get it all out onto the paper.  After a good dump, I have space to get creative.

Throughout the day, I stop to take a few deep breaths. 
Whenever I catch my mind wandering, I simply bring it back to my breath.  It takes only a few minutes to enjoy a few cleansing breaths to feel grounded and to get back on track. 

Here's a quick grounding exercise that I do: I take a  deep, six-count inhalation through my nose, breathing in love. I hold this sense of fresh, loving, new breath at the top for a couple of seconds, and then I firmly blow out all the stale, stagnant energy on a eight-count exhalation from my mouth.  It feels good to imagine blowing out all the negativity, stress, and fear.  With focused, intentional breathing, I'm able to let go of all the stuff that's keeping me from experiencing the new.

In the evening, I take time to review the day and to show gratitude.  I write.  I make sure to acknowledge the little things for which I am grateful.  A smile.  A thank you.  My warm bed. My health.  Reviewing each day is important for seeing what I can do better.  Where did I do well, where I can I do better?  Living mindfully, with gratitude, makes living joyful.