A safe harbor where beliefs are respected and kindness prevails.

You Deserve A Break – Bliss Break!

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We’ve multitasked our way right out of the present moment” says Thomas Crum, author of Three Deep Breaths.

soaking up the sun at Eastern MarketWhere is the bliss in that? Reconnecting with our bliss is essential to creating peace in our lives and summer offers a great opportunity to live lightly! You don’t need a 10 day vacation in the islands (okay, I admit that might be nice as the weather changes), you can start right now creating inner harmony, making room for less stress, by taking much-needed bliss breaks.

Here are 7 tips to make your life a little more soul-cial:

1. Breathe deep at least 3 times per day – Stop whatever you are doing at least 3 times per day and take three slow, deep purposeful breaths – filling your lungs with oxygen and your soul with life. This brings a sense of inner tranquility and can soothe away any tension, frustration and anxiety.

2. Take a 15 minute walk, preferably in nature – Simply walk at a pace that feels comfortable to you. Pay attention to the ebb and flow of the natural world. There is a sweet sensation that comes over us when we observe the synchronicity of life through animals and plants. One of the coolest things to observe during summer is a firefly/lightning bug as it flits around a yard.

3. Remove one thing from your life that is non-essential – We fill our time with non-essential “stuff”. Think about what you do on a daily basis, ask yourself is it really bringing you joy? Eliminate one thing that feels daunting and taxing.

4. Laugh, laughter feeds the soul – Watch your favorite comedy; write down and relive the funniest thing that ever happened to you or simply sit and laugh. Laughter helps you take things lightheartedly and is one of the best forms of medicine. Bonus…it’s FREE! I dare you to look in the mirror and take 60 seconds to simply laugh with yourself!

5. Listen to music everyday – Turn on your favorite tunes and listen. Sing if it makes you feel good, out loud if you can. Focusing on music can reduce pain, decrease depression and bring about a sense of calm. Grab the microphone and pretend you’re Sheryl Crow belting out “I’m gonna soak up the sun!”

6. Practice gratitude – Look forward to every day and be grateful for each moment. In any given minute we can find something to be grateful for; sometimes we simply don’t see it. Start a gratitude journal, share with your friends what you are thankful for, including them, practice saying, “Thank you” more often, or, as my friend and colleague Dr. John W. Beiter says, “Write at least one Thank You note to someone every day!”

7. Of course, Smile! No explanation needed!

Are you ready to soak up the sun and take a bliss break?

Detox From Negative Thinking

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detox from negative thinkingWhat is the first thing you think of when you awaken? What is the last thought you have before you go to bed? Those are two of the first questions I ask my clients when they are in a funk.

Choosing to be soul-cially conscious, to live a more blissful life, takes work. How we begin and end each day sets the tone for our daily lives.

Abraham-Hicks said, “You have the ability to pivot under any and all conditions. But most of you are habitual in nature, and your patterns are so well entrenched that at times the fastest path to the joy you seek is for you to take your pivot as you sleep. By reaching for good-feeling thoughts before you go to sleep and then experiencing the benefit of the quiet mind that occurs while you sleep—and then upon awakening, immediately turning to good-feeling thoughts—you can accomplish the ultimate Pivoting experience.”

Whether you are spiritual/religious or not, every minute gives you an opportunity to count your “blissings”, those little (sometimes big) things in life that bring a sense of peace, joy and contentment.

Studies have shown that by practicing being grateful we experience lower levels of depression and stress, we are more optimistic about the future, we exercise more, we are more likely to reach personal goals, and we increase our capacity for compassion and forgiveness, including forgiving ourselves.

Additional research shows that in as little as 21 days we can form long-lasting habits. A habit is merely pattern of behavior that we have either consciously or subconsciously adopted.

We are creatures of habit. You can create a new habit and detox from negative thinking by beginning and ending each day with a joyful, positive thought, one that includes gratitude for the abundance in your life.

The first and last words I say to myself everyday are very simple:   “Thank you, God, I am breathing, I am alive, and I am connected to something”.

For the next 21 days, I challenge you to begin a new habit of detoxing from negative thinking by waking up and falling asleep with a grateful heart! One simple thought could be all it takes.

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