This 4-minute video will get you started...
Taking time to look back at the year ending before setting intentions and creating visions for the year ahead can help clear the slate and prepare the soil for the new seeds. This 4-minute video will get you started... Make list of your accomplishments over the past year, including major categories of life such as your health and wellbeing, work, finances, relationships, authenticity, growth and learning, etc. Really let yourself see what you've done with your time and energy. Be careful not to judge the size or importance of the list - this is about seeing what you DID rather than what you didn't :) Create at least a few minutes of space for yourself to just bask in the glow and celebrate and appreciate all that you’ve done, all you're becoming, and all that you are.
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"Welcome the present moment as if you had invited it. It is all we ever have, so we might as well work with it rather than struggling against it. We might as well make it our friend and teacher rather than our enemy." ~Pema Chodron Every moment contains an opportunity for a choice - love or fear? Possibility or limitation? Seriousness or light-heartedness? Resistance or acceptance? Growth or comfort? Creating change requires consistently making choices in alignment with your goal. That may sound simple, but it requires a level of awareness most of us don’t have much experience maintaining. Have you ever arrived somewhere in your car with no recollection of the journey? Walked away from a conversation and had no idea what was said? Events like those remind us how often we operate on auto-pilot, without being fully present. While our ability to function automatically can save us a lot of time, it can also undermine our transformation. Practicing presence is absolutely crucial to our personal revolution. Two of the most powerful keys to presence are sensation & breath. Notice your thoughts, emotions, actions, and physical responses. Pay attention to what tempts you to check-out, run away, or numb out. Be there for every possible moment. No matter what is happening around you, you have a choice. Who you will be in the face of it? What story will you tell about it? Will you suffer over it or accept it? Will you let it stop you or find a way to learn and grow from it? Your life is the sum-total of the choices you made in the ever-unfolding present moment. Choose! What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly. ~ Richard Bach A Personal Note Here in Colorado, fall is definitely in the air. The nights are getting cooler and a little longer, leaves are starting to change, and while the daytime temperatures are sometimes still warm, the heat of summer has faded (in fact, we've had a few almost wintry days). Fall and spring are my favorite seasons - my senses feel fully engaged as I look at all the colors, watch the changes in nature, and notice the shift in temperature. New smells fill the air, and different clothes and foods become appealing. My husband and I recently hiked near Mt. Evans, taking in the splendor of the Colorado mountains and the beautiful colors of the changing aspens. When I first moved to Colorado, I was disappointed with fall. The aspens turn yellow, which I’d always heard were beautiful, but I missed the variety of colors I’d grown up with in the Midwest. Over the years, as I stopped resisting and started really looking around, I began to see a wider range of colors. Changing aspens range from yellow to bright gold to orange, and when the breeze blows and the leaves dance in the sun, it’s just breathtaking. There’s nothing like a walk under a canopy of aspens on a sunny fall day or a drive along a mountain road flanked by dancing aspen leaves. And with the change in elevation, we can expereince fall twice - once with a short drive up to the mountains, and again in our neighborhood. This eNewsletter is inspired by the changing seasons and offers thoughts and practices to help you get in touch with the changes around and within you and ensure that your body, mind and spirit are getting what they need. Wishing you a peaceful transition to the next season in nature and in your life, Jena How colorful are your changes? It has been said that the only constant in life is change. We are so used to change that we sometimes don’t even notice it. Children grow, our bodies change, one season moves into another, our attitudes and beliefs shift, and one day we notice we’re on the other side of some metamorphosis that may have taken place over months or even years. In some cases, our lack of awareness may be a protective mechanism - if we are resisting the change, we may just want to close our eyes and have someone tell us when it’s over. But awareness is funny that way - when we tune out in one area, we often tune out in others. It’s like a universal volume knob - when we turn it down, the change generally applies across the board, not just to the one thing we didn’t want to fully experience. So while we may feel less of what we’re resisting, we also usually feel less of what we enjoy. The colors of our entire experience get muted. And while a little of that at a time may not be noticeable, one day we may see an old picture, have a memory, or tell a story that comes forth in such vivid contrast to our current state that it snaps us to attention. We wonder what happened, where we got off track. We may go looking for the one event that was the turning point. And sometimes we even find it. But the truth is, it’s generally not one point, one event, one conversation - it’s the little choices we make day in and day out that chart our course. Nature provides us with natural attention-getters that we can use to trigger our awareness. As things change outside, we can take the time to look inside ourselves. I invite you to get present in this moment - take a few deep breaths, feel your body in the chair, notice the sensations around you, - and reflect... What transitions are you in the midst of right now? Job changes? Health? Relationships? Be careful not to skip over changes that seem small or routine, like adjustments to your food and exercise habits for the new season. Even changes you’ve navigated many times before generally require an adjustment (time changes may take several weeks to get used to, and how many of those have you gone through?). On top of that, the way you’ve done things up till now has gotten you where you are today, but you only go in new directions when you make new choices. For each transition, make a note of the ideal outcome from where you stand today. What do you really want? Often, we forget that we have a say in how things go and we may take a “wait and see” approach. We’re not sure how things will turn out, but rather than stepping into our power, declaring what we want and pursuing actions that will take us closer, we sit back and wait to see what happens. You wouldn’t take your hands off the wheel, go to sleep and wait to see how it turned out if you were driving a car; doesn’t the vehicle of your life warrant equal attention? Getting clear about what you want and writing it down helps focus your energy and attention and gives you a strong start in the direction of your goal. Of all the transitions you’re currently experiencing, let one bubble to the surface as the one that’s most important to you right now. Where do you want this transition to take you? How do you want the journey to be? Easy? Challenging? Fun? Meaningful? What’s your adjective? And how do you want to be when you get to the other side of it? How will you have grown? What do you want to have learned, embodied, or experienced? Are you willing to make the little choices, one by one, that get you there? Will you commit to yourself to stay awake and keep your hands on the wheel? If you want it to be easy, are you willing to let it unfold organically or ask for help? If you want it to be challenging, are you ready to face it head-on and blaze a path? If you want it to be fun, are you willing to have a sense of humor about yourself and the inevitable obstacles you’ll encounter? If you want it to be meaningful, are you willing to look for and create that meaning? What actions will take you where you want to go in thespirit you want to travel? There may be moments (or weeks of moments) where you totally forget where you’re going - that’s a completely human part of the experience. Those times offer the potential for great growth and insight if you can just take a deep breath and think back to what distracted you or took you off track rather than beating yourself up for slipping. The key is awareness, and reminders can bring your attention back to where you’re going and where you are. They help you remember that you’re in the middle of something that matters to you, and wake you up if you’ve drifted into autopilot mode. Some people use post-it notes or pictures, while my favorite is a literal reminder on my calendar programmed to pop up several times a day. What reminders will you create for your journey? You might have to try a few different techniques to find the combination that works well for you. And just to be sure this hasn’t turned into an exercise for your brain, let’s check in with your heart and body. Get present again by taking a few more deep breaths and noticing the sensations in your body and around you. As you breathe, imagine the breath moving through your heart. Notice the rise and fall of your chest. Tune in to the sensations of your heart. Ask it if it has any requests or anything to share regarding the transition. What is it craving? Who does it want to spend time with? Doing what? Is it on board with the changes you’re planning? From your heart, draw awareness down to your belly. Notice your breath moving there, as your belly inflates on the inhale and deflates on the exhale. After a few breaths, ask your body if it has any requests or anything it would like to share about the transition. Are there changes you’ve overlooked that will be necessary to support you and take good care of yourself during this time? Does it want to slow down, speed up, move more, less, or eat differently? Take a few more deep breaths, imagining the breath moving between your head, your heart, and your belly. Each inhale draws in fresh energy for your journey; each exhale sends that energy out to every cell of your being. From that place of center and inspiration, clarity and alignment, express gratitude for the wisdom and guidance of your head, your heart, and your body. See the path of your transition stretched out before you and take a step forward into your new future. Namaste. P.S. If you found this helpful or inspiring, please share it with someone. The "ripple effect" of interconnection among us is a powerful force for peace and love. It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting. ~ Paul Coelho True life is lived when tiny changes occur ~ Leo Tolstoy SAVE THE DATE - REINVENT THE HOLIDAYS Do you look forward to the holidays, only to end up feeling rushed, frantic, over-committed, stressed out and exhausted?? IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY!! November 18th from 1-3 p.m., I'll be leading a live, in-person workshop to help youReinvent the Holidays. You'll get an antidote to crazy, hectic holidays along with tools and techniques that will help you bend time and stay calm in the midst of holiday hubbub. The workshop will be held at the beautiful iThrive Yoga Studio in Parker. If you'd like to make an afternoon of it, you're welcome to stay for my classes that afternoon: Gentle Flow Hatha Yoga from 3:15-4:15 and Nia from 4:30-5:30. Workshop Only - $37; Workshop and classes - $47 WEDNESDAYS WITH WOMEN COMMUNITY GATHERING November 7th, 6:30-8:30 + optional additional hour afterwards for 1-on-1 connections (normally the first Wednesday of every month - adjusted this month) The evening is for women only and will include centering meditation, gentle movement, a brief presentation, and sharing/discussion. The intention is to create an environment that is supportive, loving, open, accepting and nurturing... one where we can comfortably be our true selves for a couple of hours in the presence of other women doing the same. I believe spaces that allow for that have true transformative power, not based on what we're doing, but on who we're being and allowing others to be. Light snacks will be served. If you'd like to join us, reply to this email to let me know you're coming; I'll email you directions. Now meeting in Parker - email for directions REGULAR PUBLIC CLASSES at iThrive Yoga - 10233 S. Parker Road, between Lincoln and Plaza I teach Nia and yoga at iThrive Yoga in Parker with a sweeping view of the mountains I love so much. Classes for adults and children are offered daily - visit the website for class descriptions, schedules and registration. Currently offering INCREDIBLY LOW unlimited monthly yoga rates for the first 100 members :) *********************** I help professional women who are overwhelmed, exhausted, and frustrated regain their energy and a sense of control so they can make a bigger difference in the world and start living their someday life TODAY. Email me at [email protected] to schedule a complimentary Breakthrough Without Breaking All the Plates Strategy Session to start mastering YOUR spinning plates today. You'll leave that session with clarity and a tool you can implement immediately to help you get a handle on the tasks and ideas swirling around in your brain. You'll be ready to really move ahead and stop waiting for someday. Visit the Superwoman's Toolbox blog for inquiries, explorations and practices that help you reclaim your superpowers and regain your energy and inspiration. I’d also love to hear your questions and comments on these newsletters, what you'd like to see covered, and the specific struggles you're facing or breakthroughs you're celebrating. Just hit Reply to email me your comments and questions. I've started recording short meditations and LOVE to have someone specific in mind when I record them. If there's some particular issue you're struggling with or some energy that feels like it would be useful but also feels totally out of your reach, just hit Reply and tell me a little bit about what's going on. You never know... the next recording or article could be geared entirely toward your question. |
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Tools that fit into your hectic days and busy life... If you feel like you've hit the wall, are exhausted, feel like something's missing, or just need some new tools and techniques in your back pocket, you're in the right place. We all get stressed and overloaded from time to time. My strategies and blog offer support, tools, perspectives & reminders to help you be your most powerful & make the biggest difference in your work & your life. You can read more about me and my journey on the About page. Archives
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