This moment…

We often think of January 1st as an opportunity to “reset” … to begin again in the direction of our goals and dreams… It can be very helpful to stop, reflect on where we are and decide what’s next

And…

Each moment offers us this same invitation

Take a breath

Pause

Choose

As we start our day we can ask ourselves what do I wish to create today

Begin with intention

Finish with gratitude for who you are and where you are

In between

Take a breath

Pause

Choose

… Be present to this moment

 

 

 

…if you are looking for support in learning this process, please call 206.369.6069 ~ currently accepting new patients

magic…wonder

One of the greatest gifts any child in our life offers us is role modeling ~

They live in a perpetual state of wonder, awe

They are curious

They are present

Their hearts and minds are open

They don’t differentiate by politics, religion, skin color

 

Perhaps our quickest path to happiness is to use the little people in our lives as inspiration and begin to embody these qualities in our day to day adult lives.

LOVE LOVE LOVE and more LOVE to you this Christmas season and as we embark upon a NEW year xo

 

LOVE YOUrself

love-yourself

Love YOUrself

 

Be a safe place for YOUrself

 

What might this look like?

 

Allow your inner dialogue to be one of love, kindness, compassion and respect

 

Look to see the beauty when you gaze at your own reflection

 

Choose actions that nurture and nourish your mind and body

 

And…

 

Gently notice the impact this practice has on your external relationships

 

life…love and loss…our journey

This was a week that challenged the heart muscles…

To any of you in this struggle with me; experiencing a loss, deep pain or heartache…If you have found yourself processing grief, let me begin by offering you love.  I hold space for you in my heart.

Though most of my days are filled with listening to the suffering of others, gently offering hope and creating a path to healing and brighter horizons hearing these stories has never become easy or free of heartache. I will hang up my shingle if it does.

giving heartEach person, each story is sacred.

This week these losses often found their way to my home, to my doorstep. My heart was heavy. My tears were frequent. I recognize this to be part of our journey; life/death… joy/sorrow…love/fear…birth/loss. This recognition does not always lessen the weight.

I believe every time we love someone our heart grows. Our capacity to love deepens and expands. This gift exposes a vulnerability to experience loss, grief and pain. Each person offers us both.

May I offer you this thought ~ Hold your people a little tighter tonight, see the people you pass on the street, the stranger in the line for espresso and silently offer them a bit of love too…we never know who might need it.

Namaste friends…I see you, I feel you, I love you.

Tools and change

When we are experiencing a “slump”…stuck in a rut or have flat out slipped into a hole of despair we often lack the motivation and perspective to transition  april adventures 067into a better space…to move past what is…

It’s at these times therapy sessions, time with friends or family, an exercise routine can be helpful

But what if you can’t encourage yourself to schedule a session, make that call or find your way to class?

Next time life feels joyful, inspiring, easeful create a list…

Place ~ nature? a city walk? a museum? yoga studio?

People ~ partner? family? best friend? puppy?

Activity ~ run? movie? book? barre class?

Where are you? Who are you with? What are you doing?

Use this list as a resource when feeling down, defeated or despondent…pick one thing and commit to connecting with that space, person, or activity asap for at least 20 minutes…that’s it.  Gently say to yourself “just twenty minutes” and check in after the twenty minutes to determine if your state of mind has improved, keep going if you feel uplifted…

Often if we take one small baby step and then another we find our bearings and the ability to move forward

Keep this resource somewhere for easy finding and refer to it in the challenging moments…cultivate your tool box and create change…

My thoughts…our story

 

 

 

sacred self…

february 2016 327Recently I found what I thought was the most beautiful message on Pinterest.

“Hold company with yourself so sacred that even when you are alone, you are whole”

I posted this on Facebook and it has been shared over 157 times.

I LOVE that…what is more important than understanding we are sacred and whole?

When we enter interactions and relationships from this space of understanding what a gift we offer each other.

When I experience myself as whole and sacred I do not look to others to fill a void within me.
I am truly able to appreciate you.

YOU are sacred and whole…

When we are disconnected from that feeling of worthiness the therapeutic process offers the opportunity to heal what needs to be healed, to discard that which is no longer serving us in terms of patterns and habits AND to create a path back to our true selves…that sacred space of wholeness within.

Change requires acceptance

april adventures 390I wrote this in October. I am not sure why it did not post but I found it today and wanted to share it with all of you…this is my story.

Recently I was told I could not work out for five weeks. That was five days ago. If you take a scroll through my previous posts or facebook page you might quickly assess that one of my personal “go to” tools for peace of mind has been stripped away for the time being. That last part took a bit of time to process; this is not permanent, you will survive this. Five, very long, days is how long it has taken me to change my attitude. I could not quite accept that I was sidelined.
A glimpse at my external and internal dialogue:
This is hell…
So unfair…
I am going to lose all my tone…
I HAVE to move…
I cannot do this…
Followed by:
Maybe I can get cleared earlier…
I am not supposed to go for walks but if I do 10,000 steps in the house does that count?(reasoning…)
AND to escape my thoughts I spent more time than I care to admit sleeping.

I was grieving. Denial. Anger. Bargaining. Depression.

This process gave me pause. How often does someone come in to my office in this state? ALOT. While I sympathize, until now, I had not been able to empathize. In my “self coaching” I pulled out all the dialogue with myself that I would use with a patient “You have a choice here. You can think different thoughts. You can reframe this. The story you are telling yourself is the source of the pain.”

Until today I was not ready to hear all that. Until today I was not ready to shift. I needed to allow myself the feelings (just like I tell my patients…) and then in MY own time I needed to surrender to what is. The beauty of that process is today I am okay. Good in fact. I still have 5 weeks of healing ahead of me. I am making fun plans between now and then while marking my first barre class, yoga return and run in bright red on the calendar.

What I learned…
Despite this work that I do every day I myself am still in the learning stage
Some people might judge my plight as small and insignificant. Please do not do that to yourself or others. Choose not to minimize your pain. Let go of making yourself wrong or bad for your feelings. It matters. You matter.

I am enough…

In the not so distant past, my #compassion was incomplete because too often it didn’t extend to myself. Seemingly innocent self talk was an obstacle not a motivator;

Try harder.
Be better.
Do more.
That’s not enough.
(see a theme…)

When I recommitted to my own heart, to showing myself grace, my world became better, my life became fuller, I became enough.

Does your compassion include you? heart pledgeMake that commitment…

Feeling stuck? The forest and the trees…

forestWe each have inside of us everything we need to find our path; to achieve our desired destiny.

AND

Sometimes we get lost in the forest of our own thoughts.

If you are feeling stuck; let’s create your compass.  I will show you the tools at your disposal.  We will collaborate to add to your existing tool box and recreate your map.

Let’s create you best life now…equip yourself to achieve your greatest dreams.

I am a Thought Coach and Behavioral Health Specialist…learning how to reframe our thoughts; empowers us to change our lives.

 

my thoughts…our story

iphone photos 019The experiences I am currently having in my life may not seem to match yours in this moment AND yet at the core, I believe and I hear in my office daily, we are each having the same experiences;

We are striving for connection

We are desiring to experience meaningful love

We are hoping to accomplish our established goals

We are tending to our hurts and wounds; whether emotional or physical

We are human beings doing our best

When we show up as  our authentic selves we offer others the experience of connection, inspiration, motivation because when we live our truth “we inspire others to do the same”.

So our “work” day in and day out is to “show up” as ourselves, to be fiercely and completely authentic, to “testify” with our actions and the manner in which we arrive into our relationships, experiences, etc…

That’s the best and most amazing gift that each of us, every single person, has to offer the world…

 

My thoughts…our story