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?

My Four Agreements

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One of my favorite books to reflect with is “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz.  In it, Don Miguel shares what he believes are the 4 principles to practices for personal freedom.  If you’ve never read it, I strongly suggest you do so, especially if you are a parent.  Each one seems simple enough and should have been ingrained in all of us at a young age.

What are Don Miguel’s “Four Agreements”?

~Be Impeccable with your word

~Don’t take anything personally

~Don’t make assumptions

~Always do your best

Teri WilliamsAfter reading “The Four Agreements”, I came up with my own personal list of principles. My personal agreements, as well as Don Miguel’s, are the foundation for living a soul-cially conscious life and have increased my capacity for love, for joy, for bliss. These personal agreements help me to better serve humanity in every way.

tgw personal four agreementsWhat are my Four Agreements?

Live with gratitude. You may have heard me say this before. Make gratitude a way of living. The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning and the last thing I do before sleep is thank the universe for another breath, another day. If being grateful doesn’t come easy to you, begin practicing it slowly, gently, without judgment. Sometimes you might have to look a little harder than others.

Practice Generosity of Spirit. Give of yourself freely, without expectation of anything in return, tangible or intangible. Real generosity is a quality of the spirit that is motivated by love and resides deep within your soul. Give of your time and your talents, especially if you can’t give money. Simply give love and a smile. Sometimes that’s all we have and sometimes that’s all someone needs.

Move your energy. Everything is energy; where and what we put our energy into expands, sometimes beyond measure. When that energy is not moving, it becomes stagnant. Tune in to what both your body and your mind need to thrive, to feel alive, and move your energy in that direction.

Choose Bliss – Live Soul-cially. Yes, we have a choice. Make a conscious choice to create more moments of joy and bliss in your life. What we focus on multiplies. Simply decide to focus more on what’s working in your life and what feels good. You will notice the difference it makes, not just in your life, but the life of those around you.

What are your Four Agreements? Ask yourself what are the most important virtues, characteristics or traits you need to live in harmony with life, to live soul-cially!

Looking Up –

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A new perspective from a tree, a few squirrels and some lively birds…

looking up soulcial livingLast week we had a new stamped concrete patio poured in our backyard.   When an unexpected guest stopped in it brought the perfect opportunity to get a few pieces of furniture out and sit. After he left I took advantage of the time alone to simply “be” by myself for a few minutes.

As I reclined back in one of the chairs I began to observe the trees from a whole new view. What a wonderful surprise it offered to see the life in that tree from a new perspective. The sun was gently shining through the branches, beams of light everywhere. The birds and squirrels were active and interacting more than I’ve ever seen, partially because the temperature was a perfect 72 degrees, but mainly because I had never paid attention at that angle. It was almost dizzying.

I’ve always been a nature lover. Watching birds and animals is a regular part of my daily life. This time was different.

I took few deep breaths and began a tree meditation (you’ll see details below). Tree meditation offered me the chance to ground myself and really connect in to witness what was happening above. It was like watching a natural super highway for the wildlife that is present in my yard; birds were flying, squawking, and playing, mainly by their nests, while the squirrels chased each other up and down the branches, stopping every now and then to grab a bite of something off a branch. I counted over 10 different types of birds in that tree and three different colors of squirrels. For just a minute I felt as if I were actually a part of that scene. It was mesmerizing.

The connection that I feel to all of life and to the Earth was deeply heightened in that moment. I was reminded of why I LOVE being outside and am so grateful for the sun, the warmth, the birds and the squirrels, and the saying, “as above, so below”. We are so similar in that we are all looking for the best way to co-exist.

Here’s your tree meditation to help you do just that.

  • Take a few deep breaths in, until you feel a sense of relaxation wash over you
  • imagine that your feet have roots connecting you to Mother Earth.
  • Imagine your body is the trunk as Earth energy flows through it, grounding, supporting and balancing you.
  • Imagine that your arms and head are the leaves and branches of the tree, connecting you to the sky and light above.

Feel the energy of the Earth, the Sun and the Sky flow through you, calming you, centering you and connecting you to nature.

I invite you to look up; to see the abundance of life above!

For meditations and more visit the resource page at TeriGriffiWilliams.com.

“Be-ing” Not “Do-ing”

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being not doing

Recently one of my colleagues suggested that I didn’t seem to have many “hang ups” or issues around self-esteem, jealously, or power struggles with my peers. I said, “Well, I’d like to think that’s true; it’s not!”

I’m human; I have my moments like everyone else. (You may have heard me say that before.) I’m the youngest of six kids. Feelings of jealousy and lack were definitely present when I was young. The key word in the first sentence is “moments”. Through mindfulness practices I have learned to keep those feelings contained to moments.

What I love about Mindfulness and Buddhist teachings is that they offer the practice of being “present”, something I work at daily, sometimes hourly. For me, mindfulness means participating in life as it is, seeing situations and “things” as they are NOW, without judgment. Mindfulness means “be-ing” not “do-ing”

The practice of being present reminds me to live in this moment. It doesn’t mean that I ignore the times that feelings of lack, unworthiness or jealousy appear in my mind it simply means I recognize that those feelings are here. Sometimes I might take it further and ask myself what they are here for or what I might need to look at for healing within myself in order let those feelings move on. Sometimes it means I say to me, “That’s an old pattern or issue, that’s not my life now.”

We have become so used to “do-ing” and fixing that we forgot about “be-ing”. You can start “be-ing” mindful more often by incorporating some of the following practices into your life:

  1. Pay attention to your breathing. Sense the flow by being aware of the sound of your breath and the rise and fall of your chest and belly.
  2. Notice what you are doing while you are doing it and tune into whatever it is that you are doing. If distractions arise, notice them and come right back to what it is you are doing. When you are doing something, just do it. When doing dishes, do the dishes, when eating, eat.
  3. When walking, pay attention to where you are and what sensations might be going on in your body. Let thoughts of where you are going or what’s next on your to do list simply fade away.
  4. Practice listening to yourself and others without judgment. Focus on what someone is saying, without anticipating what your response will be.
  5. Spend time in nature. This could be at a park, a zoo, or simply in your own backyard; watch the leaves, the birds, the flowers, and the bees.
  6. Begin a mindfulness meditation practice by listening to guided mindfulness meditations or creating your own. Find a quiet place to sit or lay down comfortably; focus your mind on the present moment; be aware of your thoughts, without judgment, be willing to stop focusing on them and release them. As they appear you might say to yourself, “hmm – ok, I have this thought; now I let it go”.
  7. Take time to simply be. Release the need to constantly do something. Allow yourself to simply sit, lie down or stand without an agenda.

We tend to see things through our ego, through a biased mind, based upon our habits and emotions. When we can begin to practice “be-ing” instead of “do-ing”, our life easily and effortlessly becomes more joyful, the essence of Soulcial Living!

For meditations and more visit the resource page at TeriGriffiWilliams.com.

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