Blog - 8 limbs Holistic Health, LLC

6 Simple Ways to Extend the Season on Light and Love

12/2/2015

I love this season of lights. As we open our hearts to one another, there's a deeper sense of appreciation for the little things. Spending quality time together, giving from the heart versus the wallet, purposeful community, and focusing on peace. The highlighted sense of gratitude this time of year brings is quite wonderful, especially as the days are colder and darker and we venture inward.

Extending the season of love and joy to last all year long is a habit we can begin right now while the act of giving and loving is fresh and vibrant. To start things off, I came up with a few simple things you can try on. Get your kids involved as well, paying forward the season of lights and love to many generations.

Make a Gratitude Jar. Every day slip in a little note of something that you are grateful for in a big jar. At the end of the year, read and reflect how you highlighted the time. You can also pull some out throughout the year if you are having a tough day.

Express appreciation for one another. As the family is gathered at the dinner table, have everyone offer an appreciation for each person - some small thing that they admire or notice in genuine goodness. We do this at Thanksgiving but who says every day can't be filled with thanks and giving?

Acknowledge your inconspicuous supports. How often do we say thank you to the postal worker, garbage collector, or police officer? These folks hold pretty important jobs that would have a negative impact if they stopped. Acknowledge their dedication and persistence with a hearty "Thank you!".

Write little notes of appreciation. Not an email or a text - an actual hand-written note. Secretly drop it off on your colleague's desk or your kid's pillow and watch them light up and smile. How did they make your day easier or what little thing did you notice they did well? Appreciation for the little things goes a long way in deepening relationships and fostering community.

Volunteer and give back one hour per week to a homeless shelter, nursing home, animal shelter, community foundation, or neighbor. Find some way to create connection, selflessly lifting the spirits of those who are in need right now even if it's just sharing a meal, walking a sick person's dog, or driving an elderly person around town to do errands.

Invite an elderly neighbor to dinner. Living alone and away from family can be tough. Make a regular practice of checking in with your elderly neighbors. You'll be amazed at how fun and educational dinnertime history lessons can be.

This holiday season, enjoy who you are with, love what you do, and create droplets of peace wherever you go.

Peace,
Shanti

Shanti Douglas
Mindfulness & Stress Management Coach
Eden Energy Medicine Certified Practitioner
8 limbs Holistic Health, LLC

It's a Miracle!

9/22/2015

     “The Miracle of Mindfulness”… the miracle of showing up for your life as it is right now… noticing what’s there… in all of it’s many forms… with deep awareness and acceptance.
     You hear me say (or write) variations of this quite frequently but what is mindfulness really? While there are thousands of studies quantifying the beneficial impacts that mindfulness has on the physical and mental body, work productivity, concentration, relationships of all kinds, and overall health, and while we cognitively understand mindfulness to be present to this moment, again, what is it really?
     Stepping away from the view that it is a tool that will help us achieve greater goodness, we must, if we are to truly understand mindfulness, realize first and foremost that it’s an embodied practice. It is a state of being, not a performance enhancement too or a therapeutic technique.
     Recently I spent six days at Blue Cliff Monastery in New York with 400+ practitioners living as many moments as we were able to in mindfulness. I say “as many as” since, no matter the strength of our practice, there seems to be an ebb and flow in and out of this practice of presence. “The Miracle of Mindfulness” was the retreat’s theme, celebrating the publication of this titled book by my teacher and Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh 40 years earlier. Out of the 400 retreatants, about one-third were brand new to a retreat in the Plum Village tradition, a tradition which emphasizes integrating mindfulness into everyday normal activities and occurrences. Each moment of life is an opportunity and a gift so why not show up and be more fully aware of them?
     The retreat day begins and ends in silence - an opportunity to connect with the voice inside - and in between we are fed with nurturing practices such as mindful meals, sitting and walking meditation, working meditation, Dharma talks (teachings), and sharing from the heart. Each step along the way is an opportunity to recognize our wholesome and unwholesome mental formations (ideas, thoughts, judgments, labels), i.e. discursions that typically hold us back from an open view of possibility. As we mostly seeking to control and reformulate our surroundings, there’s a continual backdrop of mind chatter that works to unconsciously sort and categorize our experiences, pulling or pushing our mental and physical resources into all sorts of directions in an attempt to make life more to our liking. In the retreat setting we are gifted with a slower pace, making it easier to notice this habituated mind activity and to create attitudes of openness and curiosity, awakening us to the many details we miss as we busily go about our day. We have an opportunity to notice our thoughts, feelings, emotions, and sensations of all kinds, all aspects of ourselves that are lost in the commotion of mind and body multitasking.
     There is so much depth to the simplest of things - drinking tea or coffee, walking, bathing, picking up things, noticing a landscape, eating chocolate. How is your moment of life when you are sipping your tea in the bright sunshine? Noticing… what responsibilities are weighing heavily on your shoulders and in between your "should" blades? Can we soften our body just a smidgen and return to the tangy flavor of our tea, drinking in the refreshing elements of Nature in the tea leaves and rain clouds? How are we now?
     Each time we let ourselves open to experience what is in front of us, we capture a part of ourselves that we would otherwise have missed. We get to know what’s underneath and behind the busyness that has become our habit and, for that wonderful moment, notice the Self that is noticing the self. As we bring more and more awareness to ourselves and our experience, even if it contains pain or uncomfortableness, we can begin the journey of taking care of our true selves (behind the roles and ego) more fully. This awareness of self is the first step in healing the pains and points of suffering. From this place, understanding and then reconciliation may arrive. In this way, mindfulness is a miracle for, with the simplest of attention, we can gift ourselves the preciousness of our life.
     So try this on. For a few minutes right now, stop what you are doing and bring awareness to your breathing. You’ve been doing it all day long and it’s been supporting every action you’ve taken. As you pay attention to it, don’t do anything different to it - just leave it as it is. Now also sense your body with the breath, noticing the subtle movements of it as you breathe in and out. Staying here for a few minutes, let everything else settle down - your mind, your thoughts, your to-do’s. The only thing to do in this moment is to pay attention to yourself, breathing. Stay here and rest. Open to being and breathing. What’s there that you may have missed before? What miracle of mindfulness is yours?

Love and peace to you!
Shanti

Shanti Douglas
Mindfulness & Stress Management Coach
Eden Energy Medicine Certified Practitioner
8 limbs Holistic Health, LLC

Master Plan Anyone??

8/18/2015

     Has anyone figured out what this life is for, why we are here, what this whole thing is about? I know, silly question to ask since it’s the ultimate one we all have about our existence but it’s one that I’ve really been pondering quite a bit recently. I’m trying to connect with the great Master Plan that I envision must be out there, held by the Universe far, far beyond what my little humanity has been able to reach so far. Yes, I know we are here to do good, to promote and spread love, and to continue the path of enlightenment for all beings. I have a nag inside, though, about this Master Plan, envisioning that it lays out the purpose behind everything we try to make sense of. Sometimes I feel like a marionette in a puppet show, acting out the story but never having the script of where it’s supposed to lead. It’s like a constant improv. I really think the performance I could give would be a lot more meaningful, vibrant, and fulfilling for all parties involved if I knew, though. Yes, this is my mind sometimes, showing me that I might be a little too goal oriented and just need to loosen up! (I hope you are amused and not frightened for me.)
     As a summertime treat I’ve been watching BBC’s Planet Earth series and am continually blown away by the immense diversity, spectacular-ness, and innate intelligence of the life that is contained on this breathtaking planet, including the amazing assortment of ecosystems. In my wildest imagination I couldn’t come up with all the uniquenesses of the thousands of species; the colors, shapes, reliances for survival, patience, habits of traveling thousands of miles for food or procreation just to do it all again next year. For me, I still can’t wrap my head around the workings of our brain or body. It’s way beyond science fiction and makes me even more desirous to have insight into the Master Plan.
     After a time, I finally ask myself “Does it really matter?”. In reality, probably not and I’m sure it’s best for me to spend my time creating peace, emitting love, and spreading light and positivity into each moment instead. To do what I can do and to trust the process , to “let go and just be”. I’m sure the Master Plan folks would appreciate that. And in writing those words, I do need to laugh at how many times in my life I’ve been told to simply “trust the process”. Haha. Another contemplation is provided.
     Well, if you have any answers or insights, I’d love to hear them. Feel free to add some comments below.

Peace and LOTS of joy in Being.
Shanti

Shanti Douglas
Mindfulness & Stress Management Coach
Eden Energy Medicine Certified Practitioner
8 limbs Holistic Health, LLC

Grounding for Grace

4/20/2015

     I woke up in such a cranky mood yesterday. My lioness was definitely ready to ROAR! Even though my day was peaceful, my sleep was fitful, waking up 10 times or more. I’ll chalk it up to hormones but wow, not fun to be me the next morning. I wanted nothing to do with anyone or anything, not even happy 4-legged Suki.
     I was hoping to gain some relief with my morning meditation but that was equally fitful with every little sound irritating me (I’m very tonal) and my attention not able to stay centered or under eyelid (if you’ve done any work with me, you know what I mean). Ahhhh…. lots of breathing and refocusing but sometimes it just doesn’t work.
     What did work, though (and is usually magic for me), was walking meditation. Feeling the warm and inviting Earth underneath my feet, I instantly settled. Barefoot in my backyard, slow steps, mindful awareness, breath gently following body, resting and releasing with each step. What a relief! Mother Earth is always ready to take whatever I’m willing to release. I have much gratitude!
     My connection to the Earth is deep. It is for all of us as we are made of this Earth - there is no separation. Dropping into Her presence helps me drop back into mine. I’m able to let go of the pains and perceptions that caught me, my steps becoming gentle as I untangle the twists and turns of my mind. One circuit around the yard and I was a completely new person. My lioness tail was wagging and so was Suki’s as the Mom that she knows and loves was back.
     Walking meditation, one of the four postures of meditation, is a beautiful way to earth. Earthing, a current day term used to describe the health practice of connecting our energies with the Earth, has been with us since the beginning of our time. Energetically grounding us, our contact with the Earth’s energies aligns our polarities to provide better brain and body functions. Physiologically, it helps to improve immune function, reduces pain and inflammation, decreases the stress response, and increases a sense of well-being. Think about the last time you spent time out in nature, how good you felt afterwards. Yes!
     Walking meditation is also a practice of presence. When we walk, we just walk. We are with each step, noticing our body and breath and noticing the Earth’s body and breath. It’s one of the most beautiful things you can do in your life.
     So the next time you wake up all cranked out, get out of your way and go outside. Take those shoes and socks off and walk for peace….another free form of stress relief.
     And for more on getting grounded, check out the short video below which describes two techniques used in Eden Energy Medicine that will open up the gateways and help you feel more grounded and stable in meeting the needs of the day.

Peace,
Shanti

Shanti Douglas
Mindfulness & Stress Management Coach
Certified Eden Energy Medicine Practitioner
8 limbs Holistic Health, LLC

Controlling the Weather

3/2/2015

     Happy month of March - official Spring is on its way. Yeah!! I know this winter has felt pretty rough for folks and, from what I've seen, the external weather has taken a toll on people's internal weather. Lack of energy and enthusiasm, a sense of isolation and hibernation, feeling ungrounded with a frozen connection to Earth, and constriction in creativity and positive expressions. It feels like it will never end but hang on, it will. Soon enough the thaw will be here, both inside and out.
     Changing our internal weather report is not always easy. There's no doubt that we are influenced by the external, whether it's a storm of snow, stress, or misguided communication. The external doesn't need to be determinant, however. We can open the curtains on a cloudy day, guiding our internal sun to shine and brighten our Light.
     "What part of me is being touched here?" is a great question to ask when we are feeling frustrated, afraid, misunderstood, or otherwise triggered. Instead of looking to rearrange the world to make us more comfortable and "solve the problem", can we instead come to know the part of us that is uncomfortable? Isn't that really what's calling out to us?
     Underneath the body wrangled in an emotional whirlwind, how did the storm get brewed up in the first place? What is the source seed of our tender spot? Usually it's a fear of some sort. When we get to know this, our simple act of awareness lifts the mayhem energy around it. We now know what is seeking support. This awareness alone creates an empowering perspective. With witness consciousness, we can see ourselves from a bigger perspective in relationship to our triggering event and all the ways we became uncomfortable. This type of awareness puts our higher self back in control of our experience, providing the framework of insights that switch us away from being a reactive participant. We don't need to run away to change the situation. Witness consciousness allows us to stand sturdy when the storm wind blow hard.
     Our mind is the creator of our life experiences. How we internalize the external world determines the weather of our day. Granted, poop happens but its up to each and every one of us to decide if we're going to compost it or step in it. It's messy business cleaning up poop from our soles but composting it for soul flowers is fantastic.
     Want more? Train your mind with one of the mindfulness classes and/or join my Complaint-Free March Facebook event. Either one will surely make your internal sun shine bright and keep you seeking the good.

With many blessings for peaceful days,
Shanti

Shanti Douglas
Mindfulness & Stress Management Coach
Certified Practitioner Eden Energy Medicine
Shanti@8limbsHolisticHealth.com
603.228.9007

Being Sick with Gratitude

2/18/2015

     This past weekend I was very sick - at least for me, a person who hardly ever gets sick and hasn’t required a doctor for a decade or so (knock on wood). A sore throat blossomed into not being able to talk, leading to full congestion in my head, chest, and lungs. The body...no energy, brain fog, weepy. Basically feeling pretty ucky. On a regular weekend, this would have been enough but this fell exactly during the time of a four day retreat I’d been co-organizing for a year. Ya, bummer! Deciding I needed to take care of myself and not add to the spreading of more germs, I left the retreat to go home two days early. Really sad for me but with I knew the Sangha (retreatant community) would continue seamlessly, creating immeasurable love and open heart, mirroring the retreat theme. Even as I lay in bed at home, I felt very held by them. Deep gratitude.
     Lying in my bed, snuggled with my blanket, cough drops, extra-soft tissues, water, and Nyquil, I had nothing to do but rest. Sleep, roll over, rest some more. For a day and a half I did this, trying to eat something in between but unable to taste anything. The pressure in my head was immense, eyes barely being able to open beyond a squint. Even with the coma-induced state that Nyquil provides, one can only do so much sleeping. Laying there in between sleep sessions, what to do? Reading hurt the eyes...watching Hulu compressed the forehead... staring into space seemed like a good option until the eyes dried to a prune-like quality.
     What I did find of interest was my body; noticing the aches in the left knee that radiating down to the second toe when I stayed on that side too long, pulsating tension points in the lower back, how the space in between my midback and lumbar seemed open and free, how my left ear rung at a denser pitch than the right, how my hair hurt mostly at the curve of my head, and how the pressure and congestion slowly crept from the right rear nostril to the open space on the left side when I turned my head to the left. Also of observation was how my mind still told me to try and eat (yes, mother) even though I couldn’t taste a single thing, noticing that too much napping really was not part of my body’s vocabulary, that there are a variety of coughs each with their own multi-faceted process, and finally narrowing in on where a cough actually begins.
     It was all very fascinating, this flowing river of body being. It gave me a wonderful connection to how my physical body supported and championed itself during a time of distress. I saw the interconnectedness between all parts and realized that, under a guise of what might be perceived as illness, was actually lots of healing going on. It was working really hard and I could feel the cells enlisting one another on the path of homeostasis and recovery...the cells that made up my body’s Sangha. Deep gratitude.
     There are so many times during my life that I haven’t liked or appreciated my body. There were even times when I down-right hated it and did some pretty destructive things, especially in my younger years. It didn’t do what I wanted; be thinner here and curvier there, walk fast enough, stay flexible without constant stretching, keep the muscle tone after a week away from the gym, be vibrant every day. So many of us complain about our body when in fact it is WE who create it as it is. We do things everyday that damage or support it - by what we eat, how we exercise, if over medicate, and especially what our thought pattern is around self-image. Our body knows if we love it or not. Just like Dr. Emoto’s water crystals, the cells of our body vibrate back to us how we feel about it. A body of Happy and Appreciation lives much more gloriously than Ugly and Hate.
     As I age and notice the physical changes more prominently, I’m coming to appreciate the sheer magnitude and intricacy of this vessel of ours. With over 50 trillion cells to coordinate, it’s beyond mind-blowing all the things it takes care of 24/7. Without instruction, it works so hard to get back to equilibrium and harmony. My recent experiment of a few days of illness has awoken me to that again. Deep gratitude. I’m not going to dare complain if mine needed a few days off to rest. Well deserved, I’d say, especially as I know I’m not always the easiest or cooperative one to deal with.
     When I get well again, I hope I continue to appreciate the non-sickness for longer than a few days. It really is great to have this lovely vessel of mine. It’s the only one I’ve got so best take care!

With many blessings for peaceful days,
Shanti

Shanti Douglas
Mindfulness & Stress Management Coach
Certified Practitioner Eden Energy Medicine
Shanti@8limbsHolisticHealth.com
603.228.9007

Which body would you prefer to live in?

Love Expands in Community

2/3/2015

     Woohoo!! I am SO excited!! I'm just getting back from Phoenix, Arizona (no, not see see the Pats win - what a crazy game!) where I finished an intensive two year Eden Energy Medicine (EEM) certification program. It's been an amazing journey meeting fantastic and fabulous practitioners from all over the world, creating my energy tribe, and gaining lots of confidence in helping others take care of themselves in a new way.
     If you haven't heard of it, EEM works with the body's physical, energetic, and emotional systems through the use of ancient techniques most familiar to us as in Chinese medicine, acupuncture, and kinesiology. In non-invasive and gentle ways, it helps you rebalance and harmonize back to your original self. Whether the desire is to support overall health or related to a specific concern like pain, reoccurring illness or life scheme, anxiety, or poor sleep, EEM is a great toolset. It's quite amazing how subtle energies flow and I agree with a common response of "wow, that was really cool". I hope you'll take advantage of this new addition to 8 limbs Holistic Health, LLC. Many of you have already experienced the power of this work and I am grateful for your love and trust.
     After Phoenix I spent some amazing days in Sedona with three of my best energy buds, embracing the energy of this special place and getting even more connected to these lovely ladies. Shopping for crystals, hiking the terrain, doing Tai Chi at the vortexes in Boynton Canyon, and going horseback riding were some of our adventures but, most importantly, was just spending time with one another.
     It's interesting that, beyond the desire to bring forth this energy work, each one of us is coming from a different place in our lives and has a completely different rhythm energy of how we approach the world. As well, four females in one room for five days every three months...there's bound to be some major issues, yet really there weren't. We've always been able to love and support one another, to see the gifts that each offers, and to appreciate the awarenesses that are created when we don't necessarily mesh in the moment. It's also been quite lovely to see how each one of us has strengthened over these past two years as we've shared and practiced this energy medicine with one another. Our systems are cleaner and clearer, allowing each one of us to be more solid and grounded in our true essence. It's been really quite wonderful.
     Reflecting on this 'tribe', I look around my life and see others that have come together as well. My Sangha of Buddhists and mindfulness practitioners, my kids and family, and the close friends that I cherish deeply. I also have the group of supporters who took care of my house while I was gone; plowing my driveway, checking my house daily for mechanical disruptions, transporting me to and from the airport, and checking in with me on a regular basis. It's wonderful to have these communities, especially for me where my beginning life felt isolated and alone, invisible.
     Who are the tribes in your life? How are you taken care of and supported, not in a co-dependent way but in a shared and nurtured way, where your authentic self is safe to grow and develop? While I love my time alone, community is a vital part of my personal joy. It keeps me vibrant and feeling alive. We are social beings and sharing this humanity is an important piece in getting to know ourselves. Our essence is reflected back when we are with others. And in return, we offer a bit of ourselves to provide companionship, caring, and presence for another.
     Your tribe doesn't have to be large or distinct. It can be made up of your neighbors, a pet, part of a community service network, or coworkers. It can be one person who you can rely on to be there at 2:00am should the need arise.
     As we enter the month of Love (our calendar's way of opening us up during the cold of winter), seek out your community and reconnect if the dark days have kept you sheltered and inside. Notice the blessings they provide in simply being there and take care to nurture them back as you've been nurtured. Take note of how you've become a better being because of them and offer lots of gratitude. I know I've been graced with your presence and am deeply grateful for this tribe.
     And always feel invited to gather in community at 8 limbs Holistic Health. Classes, workshops, and events are always happening so feel free to join and create more tribe energy. It brings joy and supports all of us when you do.

With many blessings for peaceful days,
Shanti

P.S. For more about Eden Energy Medicine, see here or here to check out upcoming public classes. You can also schedule personal sessions to address your particular issues and needs; call 603-228-9007 or email me.

Happy to Have You Here

1/3/2015

     Deep, deep gratitude to all! I want to send sincere thanks to each and every one of you for your continued support and presence with 8 limbs Holistic Health. It's been a fantastic seven years and none of it would be possible if you didn't enliven yourself, engage in mindful living, and seek to always move forward in a positive way. However we meet, I'm always excited when we have the chance to grow this community. And for those who've been with me since the start, it's been an extra special journey as we've witnessed each other change and improve. I'm looking forward to lots more connection in 2015 and hope to bring new and exciting programs of interest.
     As I take a quick snapshot of 2014, it was my most successful year with over 150 workshops, classes, and speaking engagements, sharing what I know with over 5,000 people! That's mind boggling to me and quite a switch from the person who used to get laryngitis at the prospect of speaking in front of others (it's amazing how our body cooperates with our biggest fears). I'm very lucky. And I'm excited to report that in three short weeks I'll be finishing up my two year Eden Energy Medicine program, another exciting avenue for harmonious and balanced living. It has brought a great deal of vitality to my life and I'm looking to share more of it with you in 2015.
     To start things off right, I had the honor of spending a very special time with a group of lovely beings on New Year's Eve. Snuggled in the back barn with Jasmine's roaring fire (she's my pellet stove), through meditation we gave energy to the goodness that resides in each one of us...all the ways that our heart is open, all the ways that we care for ourselves, all the gifts that we embody. Held in this cocoon of light and love, we gently brought forth our pains and sorrows; the regrets that remained unreconciled, unskillful habits that run deep. In a ceremony of peace, these hardships were released along with any states of being that we no longer wished to carry forward into the new year. To fill the void, each of us then created a representation of the feeling sense we desired to live closer to. With lots of colored markers and paper, this expressed itself in a myriad of artistry; lists, letters, wallet-size Live-By cards, and figurine drawings. We then had the opportunity to share from our heart again, making our deep desires visible and heard. One of my favorite shares was feeling "zesty" - that just makes me smile.
     And through this entire process the miracle of community arrived as everyone shared deeply from the heart, feeling safe and supported in a room where many were previously unknown to one another. The sense of shared humanity allowed all of this to unfold naturally and to bring healing on many levels. I would say it was the most nurturing and loving change-of-year celebration I've experienced yet.
     If any of this resonates - to release and renew as we move forward into the new year, or any time of year - please reach out. This process of revitalization is a support that I offer in my coaching sessions and would be honored to share in your change process.
     Again, a deep bow of gratitude and thanks to each and every one of you for the gifts of your presence and light. May all great blessings be bestowed upon you.

With many blessings for peaceful days,
Shanti

Shanti Douglas
Mindfulness & Stress Management Coach
Shanti@8limbsHolisticHealth.com
603.228.9007

Holiday Wish List: Stay in Peace during Seasonal Busyness

12/8/2014

     This is a fantastic time of year but also a challenging one. So many activities and demands for time and attention; holiday parties and gatherings, school vacations, traveling to visit relatives or being separated from family. Combined with less sunlight and bone-chilling cold, some days it can seem pretty tough to feel peaceful.
     One of the best ways that I’ve found to stay peaceful is stick with the health foundations that keep us vital and strong throughout the year. You know...exercise, good nutrition, solid sleep, hydration, and stress management. It’s easy to get pulled away from these healthy habits so stand guard and increase your diligence. We don’t want to pay for a few sloppy weeks over the next six months. Think of it like charging gifts on your credit card; you want to be able to pay it off right away without incurring extra charges and debt.
     I thought I’d share a few things that work for me in maintaining peace and balance, especially during this time of year. Take a look and feel free to add any to your repertoire. I also do a Daily Energy Routine that has been a third savior in my life (yoga and mindfulness being the other two) so connect with me if you’d like to learn that.

Start your day in peace
Before you jump out of bed and start on that to-do list, remain laying and take a few moments to just be. Take a few breaths; notice them, notice your body. Check in and see how you feel. An emotion or carry-over from a dream may be present so check in with this starting point. This will help you to take care of yourself and be your best today. Breathe in gratitude.

Move the body
I love to take a walk before I go to the gym and have my coffee and first breakfast. In the quiet of the neighborhood my body awakens. I feel what’s tight and loose and connect with my breath. It’s a great meditation in motion, even in this brisk morning weather.

Have a great breakfast
Nurture your body with vitamins and minerals and jump start your metabolism for the day. This is NOT just coffee. Veggie omelet, whole grain oatmeal, Greek/high protein yogurt and fruit, or Ezekiel bread are a few options.

Say No to say Yes
As the day progresses, watch how much you take on. There are SO many great ideas out there and projects that will take “just an hour”. Be discerning with your energy availability and the actual time things take. I calculate things take 3 times the amount of time we initially projected, leading to frustration, worry, and no longer having fun. Saying “no” can actually give you a big boost of personal “yes” so don’t be afraid to not raise your hand all the time.

Break Point - Informally Staying Present
We are so frenetic and busy, always doing and on the move. Even when we are standing still our mind is busy. Stopping periodically throughout the day helps us re-set ourselves. Break points might be when you are doing a regular task such as washing your hands, feeding the cat, having 3 sips of tea, or brushing your teeth or they can be transitions when we switch from one activity to another; sitting to walking, from your desk to a meeting, phone call to computer, etc. They come informally and thus a perfect tool for helping us to periodically break the cycle of go-go.
With this process, we stop and recognize where we are and what we are actually doing - in our thoughts and our body. We connect with the present moment, switching away the busy forward-looking habit mind. When you do these activities, you are doing nothing but these activities. No thinking about what’s next, no multitasking, no rushing. It can be amazing - and amusing - to see how far away you were from what you were doing so it’s a perfect way to re-set our rush-rush energy.

Meditation
Sitting for 20 minutes in quiet, noticing my breath, noticing my Being, and resting in what is is one of the greatest gifts I give to myself every day. For me, meditation is very grounding and nurturing. It connects me to my self and helps build that relationship of inner peace, helping me to open up to what might be bubbling underneath, and nurturing myself more deeply.

Gratitude before Bed
Ending the day on a positive note is very important. The last thing that we do, engage with, or think will be what we are bedding with for the next 8 hours so offering a positive reflection of the day is important, especially if it didn’t go as planned. Journaling 6 gratitudes can be lovely - 3 things that you are grateful for related to the external world (the sun that shined, the door that was held open for you when your hands were full, the meeting that went well) and 3 things you are grateful for about yourself (perhaps you chose not to have that piece of chocolate, stuck with your exercise program and did 20 extra crunches, or remembered to walk in awareness your mindfulness stairs). Whatever offers positivity, quieting and settling of the mind is wonderful.

     There are many more things that I do every day to promote a sense of stability and peace and, while I’m not always successful in keeping it together, I’m in a much better place than if I didn’t keep a personal peace practice going. So keep your daily peace practice going, whatever it might entail and if you need support developing one that works for you, reach out. Life ebbs and flows so much we need the tools to keep us grounded in an unstable world.

With many blessings for peaceful days,
Shanti

Shanti Douglas
Mindfulness & Stress Management Coach
Shanti@8limbsHolisticHealth.com
603.228.9007

‘Tis the Season for Ease and Flow

12/8/2014

     I heard from so many folks that this year’s Thanksgiving was the best they’ve had in a long time. The loss of power created environments of quality time, togetherness by candlelight, creative meals, and making room at the table for those with or without power. Most managed with what was available, making the best of it with little or no complaints. Overall a deeper sense of presence to the day, tuning in to one another and getting back to basics.
     For my larger family gathering, there seemed to be a softer touch to the day with much less tension than might typically be found. It’s not that my family is tense or tight but, ya know... we all have our moments. Without the guiding structure of our traditional celebration, we just “went with it” and were comfortably flexbile. For that I am grateful. Although I wouldn’t categorize the recent loss of power as severe (think back to the ice storm of 2008), it did remind me that we always seem to come together best during times of crisis and need. Hmmm... how to savor the essence of that togetherness for ALL the times?
     So all of this leads me to ask how we normally approach the unexpected in our daily lives. Do we become tight and resistant or are we able to generate a quality of ease and flow, to see opportunities for connection or betterment where we only saw irritation and pain before? Every day life provides many situations that are out of our control and, instead of acknowledging this, we tend to power-pack lots of energy trying to change the unchangeable, i.e. moving boulders. The real change takes place, however, with how we interact with our circumstance and the quality of attention we offer. Changing our Modus Operandi changes our experience, revealing great potential for joy and happiness.
     As we move closer to Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year, take a look at how attached you are to your traditions of how the holidays (and your life) “should be”. Can you offer a sense of ease and flow, enhancing the essence of greater love and light into the holidays? What can you let go of that is no longer needed and which might actually return a more satisfying gift?
     For me, this may mean having Christmas with my boys two days later so that we can all be together with no rushing or that ucky low-grade anxiety that comes from “making the rounds”. There are extended families on many sides, all highly requesting their attention and attendance. I can see the pressure this places on my boys and, while I used to add to that with my own desire to have my special traditions with them, I find our time is now better spent when we can “chillax” with one another, whatever day that happens to be available.
     So this year, spend your holiday time well and, if all else fails, turn the power off in order to turn the joys of togetherness on.

With many blessings for peaceful days,
Shanti

Shanti Douglas
Mindfulness & Stress Management Coach
Shanti@8limbsHolisticHealth.com
603.228.9007

Graphic from http://www.ezybook.co.nz/pages/flowcolonics/