This is, for many, the busiest and most stressful time of year.  At the same time it gets darker, colder and the desire to hibernate or dive into a vat of mashed potatoes escalates, so does the demand to be out later, socialize more, and add more to the to-do list, all while maneuvering through workplaces teeming with cookies and candies, parties laced with fattening finger-foods, and a near obscene cultural inundation of temptations. It’s the annual leap off the bandwagon into the cycle of sleep deprivation, caffeination, sugar saturation and neglected self-care that brings us, exhausted, to our ritual of penance the first week of January.

Staying sane and balanced over the next 2 months does NOT have to be a formidable challenge. Whatever success looks like for you, it can be achieved. The first step in success is identifying what you want to be different this year, then brainstorming ways to create change that allow you to participate in the holiday season without leaving your needs at the door.

For some, that may mean taking a pause on weight loss for weight maintenance, others may define their success this year by making sure they maintain their exercise. This can be done by setting a specific goal to train for, such as a holiday 5k or 10k, or it may mean making regular appointments with a trainer to keep you on task. Perhaps the most important change you can make is to emphasize the connection to friends and family this holiday season, and forgo as much of the gift-hunting and big parties as you can get away with for smaller, more meaningful connections. Some friends of mine have taken to holiday gift-making parties, where we come together as a group and make bath salts, soaps, or lotions to give to others. It allows us to spend quality time together and have a small homemade gift to give to others. This is a much meaningful way to spend a few hours than pacing through a shopping mall or browsing on the internet.

The greatest gift you can give to anyone in your life is your presence and your happiness. By committing to Radical Self Care, you allow yourself to be in the right frame of mind to present your best self to others. So how do you put the YOU back in yuletide?

1) Take stock of what is: what are the habits and tendencies that tear you down? What area of your life is calling for your attention, or would give you the greatest reward for your time and effort? What do you want to do differently this year?

2) Assess the tools and support you already have: maybe you have a colleague who has an unwavering commitment to walks during lunch. Join her. Maybe you have a friend or family member that you can ask advice of, or someone to join you and hold you accountable. This may be the time to hire the trainer you’ve been spying on at the gym or the one you met at that networking event over the summer. Now can be the time to get external support for your food challenges so you can make it through the holiday without regrets. In your energy levels are a challenge, this is an ideal time to work on correcting those, since holidays tend to be especially draining. What if you made it to January without the feeling that you had to undo damage?

3) Set reasonable expectations: You know your challenges. You know what is on your plate. Set yourself up for success by making goals which challenge you to live life differently, but do not ask you to revolutionize your entire life during one of the busiest times of the year. Sometimes it is helpful to bounce your ideas off a trusted friend to make sure you aren’t being too hard on yourself, or too easy either!

4) Measure your progress: Record your progress, be it in hours slept, number of workouts, inches lost, or the number of times you said yes to YOU when it would have been the norm to say yes to someone else. For weight loss or maintenance folks, I will let you know I am not a big fan of the scale – it does not differentiate between fat, water, or muscle and weight tends to fluctuate based on salt, hormones, changes in workouts, etc. Measurements, photos and how your clothing fits are far more accurate indicators of healthy fat loss. Also assess how you feel. Rate your energy level, motivation, digestion, and overall happiness. These are just as important as your body size, if not more so.

5) Identify Rewards and Consequences: Take this beyond “I will feel proud of myself” and “I will look better”. Celebrate in a big way by gifting yourself something you typically reserve only for special occasions or not at all. This could be a manicure, a massage, a weekend out of town…something which gets you excited and can be the carrot you dangle in front of yourself when you feel discouraged. Also, it can be helpful to offer a consequence as well. What is your payment for neglecting yourself? When I started instigating consequences for my own inaction, I started getting more $*!* done!  It turns out making a donation to a cause that is against my moral fiber is a strong motivator for me to push past fear and get started on a book idea that I have. Telling myself I would quit doing something I loved was the motivation I needed to take action and rise from mediocre to excellent in my own training. What kind of external consequence would motivate you to make the changes you know are best for you?

6) Success takes planning, not luck: Have healthy options available to you at all times. Cook in larger portions and freeze extras for later in the week or when you know you will be too busy or tired to cook. If you are extremely busy,  it is vitally important that you have plenty of frozen vegetables, bagged salad mixes, and other ready-to-eat healthy options waiting for you.  VIBRANCE client Briana Rognlin summed up some great ideas we discussed in her article on what to do when you are too tired or busy to cook. Click here to read more.

Here are some personal rules I use to reduce the pressure and stress of the holidays:

* I buy in bulk and cook in quantity: By purchasing 4-5 pounds of chicken breasts, -3 pounds of fish, I can cook everything up in one big batch and have it on hand to quickly grab and munch when I need to. Right now there are a lot of brussel sprouts with cranberries and turkey bacon roasting in the oven, and my George Forman grill gets a run for its money every weekend. If something happens and I am ill-prepared, I will stop and get a rotisserie chicken or some sushi at the grocery store for a quick and easy meal.

* I politely request gift-free holidays and pepper my year with ‘I love you’ gifts for friends and family so they know I care all throughout the year, not just during the holidays (mind you, I don’t have children, and I am aware this is a luxury not everyone has). For those I know who feel compelled to give I encourage experiential gifts, donations made in my name, or gift cards to places I frequently shop. This is a general, not hard and fast, rule I have. Sometimes I will find an “I love you” gift in the fall and save it for the holidays.

* I only commit to the parties that mean the most to me, and I come armed….armed with defensive eating tactics and a healthy dish or snack I know make me feel ill! My favorite defensive eating skills: take the conversation away from the food table, keep my hands occupied with a clutch purse or wallet and a non-alcoholic drink, and making sure I never arrive hungry.

*I don’t hesitate to go to bed early, stay in bed longer, take long baths, and curl up to movies and hot cocoa. Winter is our natural hibernation time, and giving in to the body’s need for quiet, reflective time keeps my spirits and my immune system strong.

With some mindfulness and planning, you can begin 2012 energized and without any regrets. We have only 6 weeks until the new year – will you be so bold as to get a head start on a life changing resolution? There is no time like the present! For those of you who are already accustomed to saying YES to you, what are some of your go-to strategies to stay afloat during the holiday season?

Given that I’m only slightly larger than your average 5th grader, I have to be VERY mindful of portions when eating in or out – remember, as portions have grown, so has what we consider to be a ‘normal’ plate size – just look at grandma’s china set for historical reference.

Here are some of my favorite ways to keep portions in check:

1) Choose a smaller plate. When eating out, keep your appetizer plate and serve your meal onto it, or better yet, order a healthy appetizer as your meal. I do not keep dinner plates in my home at all, simply because they encourage overportioning, or make it look as though I am depriving myself with all that white space!

If you are dining out and you want an entree, ask for a take-out box to be brought with the meal so that you can place what you don’t need that moment in the container and out of sight.

2) Ramekins and juice glasses keep portions in check – a juice glass is still 8 oz, and a ramekin for desserts like ice cream or treats like tortilla chips keeps portions easier to manage than using a standard bowl.

3) Chopsticks are our friend – they make it impossible to shove fist-sized globs of rice in my mouth when I am noshing on yummy Thai cuisine after a workout, and they slow my meal wayyyy down. Given that it takes 20 minutes for your stomach’s signal to the brain to activate the sensation of fullness every thing we can do to slow down our eating is a step in the right direction. Want to slow down even more? Try a mindful meal.

Do not try this at home.

In preparing for a big show, I’ve been learning all sorts of new acrobatic moves, many of which involve highly ballistic moves that my tendons and ligaments aren’t quite accustomed to doing.

I poorly executed a stunt in practice the other night (see right) and strained some of the ligaments in my lower leg upon landing, resulting in more acute injury on top of the accumulating chronic stress of practice. With a big stage performance 5 days away, it was time to pull out all the stops and get a little crazy in the kitchen.

In homeopathy, there is a concept called the law of similar. It essentially means “like cures like”. For the purposes of nutrition, we see this in a cut carrot, which looks like an eye, complete with iris – and is good for eyesight. A tomato, is red and contains four chambers – just like our hearts. Tomatoes are packed with vitamins and lycopene, which has been shown to reduce heart disease risk. Walnuts look like little brains (with right and left hemispheres!) and contain omega-3s and other nutrients which facilitate the creation of neurotransmitters and overall health in the brain. These examples are all around us and have been used as signs in the food as medicine model for thousands of years.

For the purposes of building up my tendons and ligaments, I went straight to the source. I went to my local organic butcher and brought home about 3 pounds of lamb knuckle and marrow bones.  Nothing will give my body the building blocks for collagen and bone like collagen and bone! I boiled them into a stock for several hours with herbs, salt and pepper, then removed them, folded them in a kitchen towel, and proceeded to pummel them with a hammer.

Lesson one: Knuckle bones are tougher than I am.

I can take this! I'm tough enough!

Bones: 3pts. Aimee: 1pt.

Despite an overall failure, I was able to chip some of the firm tissue off the knuckles, and broke a leftover turkey leg bone to pull out the marrow inside. I wrapped the bones in cheesecloth and set them back inside the broth to stew with the veggies I was going to add. (Note – if you try this, make sure it is not on tile or easily damaged surfaces! Also – try a sledgehammer and wear goggles. That may work better. While your Vitamix may make some headway on the bones, it isn’t worth the risk of damage to the container)

Tendons and ligaments need several nutrients to maintain their integrity. Sulfur, vitamin C, Vitamin K, and many others. I added seaweed to the broth to increase the mineral content, and chose cruciferous veggies for the bulk of the stew. Cruciferous veggies such as cabbage, cauliflower, and bok choy contain sulfurophanes, which break further down into sulfur when eaten. Sulfur plays a key role in creating connective tissue. Bok choy also contains large amounts of calcium – and the calcium present is better absorbed than the calcium in dairy products.

To season the stew, I added turmeric, cumin, and ginger. All these herbs are powerful anti-inflammatories and contain wonderful compounds that facilitate overall health. Your spice cabinet is a veritable medicine chest!

The result – pretty good! Admittedly, I’ve never sat down to eat something like this before, but I do prefer to eat my nutrition whenever possible. I am not stopping there, though.  My arsenal for anti-inflammatory, connective tissue healing includes the following, daily:

3-6 packets of Emergen-C per day (or divided doses of Vitamin C to 6,000mg)

1 tbsp fish oil

1500 mg. bromelain, divided into 3 doses, taken on an empty stomach (when taken with food, it acts as an enzyme. When taken alone, it gets into the GI tract and acts as an anti-inflammatory)

6 oz. Zrii – an Ayurvedic blend which has a high antioxidant, anti-inflammatory effect on the body and helps reduce the stress response physically and mentally

Now, if crushing bones on the back porch isn’t your style, you can purchase collagen as a supplement to add to this regimen, or make aspics – those popular jello molds from the 60’s and 70’s that graced many a potluck. Aspics are made with gelatin, which is derived from the bones and tendons of animals (how’s that for a new take on Jell-o?)

I’ve also gotten acupuncture, received reiki, and had my ankles braced most of the time for the last 4 days with alternating heat and ice applications. All this commotion in the kitchen doesn’t take away from the basic principles of Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation (RICE)!

So far so good! The test comes on show day (tomorrow) … I will be taped for extra support and will continue this regimen for the following 6 weeks or so (about the time it takes for ligaments and tendons to heal).

She took this a failing to her commitment to herself.

But all ‘failure’ needs to be is an opportunity to assess our expectations. Are they realistic? Are they achievable? Have circumstances changed that now make it unreasonable? If a client is unable or unwilling to follow through with an agreed upon goal for the week or month, all it tells me is that we have created an unreasonable goal.

• Sometimes we take off more than we can chew.

• Sometimes we don’t see obstacles before they show up and get in the way!

• Sometimes we discover that a goal doesn’t work for us only when we begin to test it out.

Whatever the cause – that lack of completion tells me we need to re-assess and find something more suitable. There is no reason why the road to your ideal body cannot be lined with stones of success all along the way.

Successful weight loss, or success in any endeavor, entails finding appropriate mini-goals en route to the larger, over-arching aspiration. These mini-goals determine each person’s unique path to success, and are intended to be adjusted and altered along the way. Life, and our body, is never static – why would we expect our dietary protocol or exercise regimen to be this way?

The clients that experience the greatest success capitalize on their determination and use it to work hard and stay committed, but they also have the self-reflection and inquisitiveness necessary to explore what it happening within their body, what their cravings mean and what their triggers are. We work together to discover their unique physiology and blueprint for success by uncovering the language and wisdom of their bellies and memories and cravings. When something goes wrong – it becomes an opportunity to learn more about what works best … each ‘failure’ is really a closer step to success.

The study, as reported by the British Telegraph, said that a stress-inducing test caused a reported 25% increase in stress levels by those who did not receiving tea following their stress test. Those who did receive tea reported a 4%  decrease in stress. (click here to read more about this study).

Keep in mind this is a British study, and the Brits have had a longstanding cultural relationship with tea. Even though Americans do not engage in teas to the extent of our British cousins, the image and experience of making a cup of tea can induce similar ideas of unwinding; this idea permeates our culture mostly in advertising and movies instead of occurring in the home.

Give it a try and see what happens! Below is my favorite way to prepare tea:

Aimee’s Cuppa

I never liked tea, nor drank it in the British style, until I met my friend Nefratiri. I would go over to Nef’s house when I was about 18 to talk about religion and government and all sorts of juicy topics.  She would make me tea using soymilk and maple syrup and I became HOOKED on the stuff.  It has since become a very soothing staple on cold days or whenever I need a little extra love.

• 1 teabag or loose-leaf tea in a teaball (some of my faves: Celestial Seasoning’s Tension Tamer or Gingerbread tea; Republic of Tea Blackberry Sage, Morning Glory Chai or a redbush chai)
• 1-2 tsp maple syrup
• 1/4 cup soy milk, almond milk, or hemp milk (rice milk is too watery)
• boiling water

Bring water to a boil in a kettle or pot. Remove from heat. Add the teabag to your favorite mug and top with water, leaving room for “milk”. Add milk and maple syrup and stir.

Sit back, inhale deeply, and enjoy.

The unscheduled nature of summer interferes with routines which keep weight more easily managed, and often people notice a couple of extra pounds in preparation for the winter months.

Given that we don’t opt to hibernate, this extra weight isn’t necessary! Here are some of my top tips to avoid gaining weight when traveling and enjoying summer festivities:

1) Grill It! Use your grill for good, not evil. Instead of ribs and hot dogs, grill a variety of vegetables, chicken kabobs and use a cedar plank to grill fresh fish. Use exotic spice blends for flavor and BBQ sauce on the side to dip your chicken in if you are sensitive to sugars.

2) Bring a healthy dish to potlucks so you can ensure a healthy option is available. Others will appreciate it as well!

3) Crowd out caloric drinks with water: Summer slushies, cocktails, and blended coffee drinks can have as many calories as your main meal. Keep caloric drinks to a minimum, and when you do have one, have a tall glass of water (with lime for flavor) before and after you have your high-calorie beverage.

4) Plan you vacations to include healthy options and physical activity: If it’s very hot, exercise in the morning or evening – stroll the beach at sunset, play in water parks with the kids, hike in the shaded woods. Pack picnic lunches, utilize grocery stores for healthy snack options, and plan ahead whenever possible. I often research restaurants in locations I am visiting to get an idea of options available to me. For road trips, this post may be useful to you.

5) Keep tabs on yourself! Don’t turn a blind eye. If you are prone to overdoing it on vacation or during the summer, keep tabs on your size with a specific pair of pants or measuring tape. Some clients find it helpful to keep a food log in high-risk situations to keep them honest and accountable. Do what you need to without sacrificing the joys of the summer months!

Joy is a choice.

Yes, a choice.

The mundane can be gleeful, and even the frustrating things in life can hold gems in them that lift us a little. That is not to say that we still won’t feel angry or sad, but recognizing that there may be something positive in any difficulty can keep us from getting submerged in the emotion, numbing it out with food, or acting out in other ways that may not be in our best interest.

With the economic and employment troubles affecting most everyone on some level, our national levels of stress have been stimulated, to put it mildly. Yet even in the most stressful times, we can minimize the harm of high levels of stress by seeking moments of joy that exist all around us.

Below are tools to create greater joy in your life – whether you are working through a personal difficulty or simply wanting more of what you already have.  These tools were shared with me in The Solution Method. Wired for Joy, the initial 6 week introduction to the Method, will be starting July 6th, 2009. Please email or call me for more details!

Conscious Attention: Mindfulness is key. When we are aware of what gives us joy, we can recall these memories at will.These memories can affect the brain chemistry as strongly as the  when the experience happened. Make a list of things which you know give you an emotional boost. Then be on the lookout for the day-to-day joyful experiences so you can add to your list. See mine below for ideas. No item is too large or too small!

Intention: having an intention of happiness and joy sets our compass in the direction we wish to head. Having the intention increases our chance of success – whatever the goal. Research backs this up – in the laboratory as well as through historical documentation (Napoleon Hill comes to mind). Add joy, pleasure, and intention to all that you plan on doing to the day. Don’t just intend to go to work, bu intend to go to work and have a positive experience there. Begin seeking joy in your life and expecting it to come your way and you live out your life.

The Earned Rewards in Life: Gratitude has been shown to be one of the best tools to shift one’s mindset from neutral to joyful. When we express gratefulness for what has come to us we not only increase our joy but become receptive to receiving more. Those who express gratitude not only are healthier, but live 7-9 years longer. Our left prefontal cortex is flooded with feel-good hormones when we focus on what is positive; the end outcome being flooding our brain with endorphins. Negative thinking activates the right prefontal cortex and floods the system with fight-or-flight response hormones that deplete us and can eventually lead to stress-induced diseases such as depression, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease, among others.

Make it a Daily Practice — take a deep breath settle in – what are three things I am grateful for in this moment? Ask this question daily. If you are experiencing more stress than usual, ask it several times throughout the day. Set an alarm on your computer or phone to remind you!

When you ask this question, what comes to mind? No pressure. Think of what you can in this moment. Feel gratitude in your body and acknowledge it. Just a small practice such as this can increase your joy and when you share it with others you can give it to them as well. JOY IS CONTAGIOUS! This is the reason why I always include Bragging Rights in my monthly newsletter.

Aimee’s List O’ Joy

• fresh juice

• spring flowers

• seeing fruit on the tree

• hiking in a forest

• a good joke; I am particularly fond of puns and intellectual humor.

• irony

• synchronicity in daily life

• warm bathrobes

• a cool, cloudy day

• Rain!!

• watching my turtles eat

• ripe, fresh berries

• farmers’ markets

• traveling

• airports

What brings you joy that you haven’t done in awhile? What have you planned to do to treat yourself that you haven’t done yet? Make a note of the ones you do regularly and set about the intention to experience focused joy around that area. I love spring flowers, but right now they are in abundance and I have become a little desensitized. So I am going to recommit to focusing high joy on the flowers that stop me in my tracks. Rather than walk by, I may stop and examine them closer, bring some home with me, or take a photo.

***********************************

Taken from notes: 3 June 2009; Teleconference with Judy Zehr LPC. MHRM

Also – The Strength of Goal’s Intentions Affect Outcome and UC Davis Study on Gratitude and Thankfulness

To learn more on the science of gratitude, you may wish to read Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier

To learn more about rewiring your brain for less stress and greater joy, visit www.thepathway.org

Big-time uncomfortable.

Digging heels in, I don’t-wanna, stop the presses and let-me-go-back-to-bed uncomfortable. It was a surprise, honestly. I thought I was more prepared.

Earlier this year I decided I wanted to teach Spin classes. It would give me some variety and expose me to a large gym that could have other benefits down the line. I would get to know more people in my neighborhood while getting in shape in a new and different way. I love the endorphins that cycling to music gives me (more reliable than runner’s high).  So I took a certification class and did an excellent job auditioning for the position. So well, in fact, that I was offered my own class (usually beginners get to sub for awhile). It may have been that I was passable and no one else wanted to teach at 5:30am, or that I was awesome. Who knows? Regardless, and despite the fact that I had no previous experience in front of large exercise classes, I was granted my own class. And after the hiring paperwork was said and done, I was offered a second class each week. GREAT! My wish was granted. I was set to teach Spin.

But let me tell you – this is HARD. Ask me to run 18 miles or lecture about healthy fats to 150 people and it would be easier. For me — a very left-brained, uncoordinated person — timing music to cues to public performance and finagling with a mic and my own sweat while smiling AND talking proved to make me extremely nervous. I had nightmares when I wasn’t experiencing insomnia, and would wake up with dread the mornings I was teaching.

But I knew that 12-20 people would be there waiting and the area manager found me skilled enough to lead them. I had to trust her instinct over my own at this point, because the level of unfamiliarity was rather blindsiding.  So I walk in, pretend I’ve done this before and give it a go.
I finished my fourth class last week, and I have learned a lot – about myself as a morning performer, about sweaty microphones and creating mixes, about what people are like at 5:30am and about my own inner demons.

I haven’t wanted to quit something in a long time. I had moments the last two weeks where I wanted to quit this crazy thing I had gotten myself into.

I share this with you because inevitably at some point we all face such discomfort. Something feels too hard and we’d rather say yes to the cheesecake or no to the workout. We think we are crazy because we signed up for a triathlon and we don’t know how to swim. We wonder why we are thrashing about in the water, setting our alarm for 4am to teach strangers, having the tough conversation or walking out of the bakery when it seems that everyone else in the world doesn’t have to.

What I want to highlight though is what happens when we embrace the difficulty.

There is great reward in facing down adversity. It is a time ripe with opportunities to see how we work under pressure. What sorts of weird stories do our brains tell us? Do we want these stories to be the basis of our reality (“I’ll always be fat”, “I exercised for an hour so I deserve a high-calorie treat”, “I’m any variety of insulting adjectives”,”I already have heart disease so I might as well…” )or do we want to create a new one? (“I can totally do this”, “I’ll show them”, “I’ve come so far!”, “My body can heal”, “I deserve to be happy!”)

When I get into an emotional pickle and I find myself challenged beyond my level of confidence, I reach out for support. I call my friends who have unwavering belief in me, I write to my business coach, I journal about it and I brainstorm solutions as I question my fear. Regardless of the outcome, I always learn more. Sometimes I learn what I must never do again. Other times I learn that I am a lot stronger and more creative than I often perceive myself to be.

Each time we face adversity and come out the other side, we build up our inner strength and tenacity. We learn that we can ask for help and receive it and that we are often better supported and stronger than we allow ourselves to realize. Over time, this breaks down self-imposed barriers that keep us locked to unhealthy eating and a sedentary life when we yearn for movement and the energy that healthy living can bring.

When you feel resistance rise up in yourself – in your relationships, in your work, in your commitment to a goal you are striving for – begin to ask questions. Look at the internal records playing and see if it isn’t time to change the album. Ask yourself — What do I most need to hear right now? Then give yourself that emotional nourishment. My guess is you may find  the challenge becomes less overwhelming and you feel more proud, stronger, and have more love and respect for yourself as a result. And the happier you are, the healthier you are, hands down.

What is one way you face down adversity? When your inner demons start chattering, what do you say or do to change the dialogue?

Ten Universal Laws of the Warrior Code

The Ten Universal Laws of the Warrior Code are contained In Dawn Callan’s book: Awakening the Warrior Within – Secrets of Personal Safety and Inner Security published by Tenacity Press.

These Laws encourage individuals to live impeccably with more joy, more choice, and more peace. This is a path not without risk, but not without rewards. Living by the Warrior Code will enrich daily living on your own terms.

1. Pay attention. Stay in the present. Its the only place anything is really happening.

2. Take responsibility. This is your life, take it back. Either you get to own it, or you blame someone or something else for it.

3. No kvetching. No whining, no sniveling – it takes you out of the present and lets you abdicate responsibility.

4. Don’t take any sh^t. It’s very bad for one’s self-esteem to take any abuse. Stand up to your tyrants, both internal and external. The cost is too great not to.

5. Do it anyway. Hard choices temper our strength and our integrity; they make the difference between a life of mediocrity and a life of excellence.

6. Don’t quit. Look at what stops you, at where you give the effort up. That is the edge between becoming a victim or a warrior.

7. Keep your agreements. A warrior is only as good as his or her word. The way we build self-trust and trust in others is by making and keeping agreements.

8. Keep your sense of humor. Otherwise what’s the point? Humor helps us to stretch beyond ourselves and our own limits.

9. Love one another. Otherwise where’s the meaning? It’s the way we remember we’re not alone in this universe.

10. Honor your connection to Source. There is a force in the universe, greater than ourselves, that creates us, sustains us, provides for us, cares for us, guides us, and loves us. It speaks to us from within. Trust it.

Which one of these comes easily to you? Which one do you have more difficulty with? Choose one to work on over the next week or month (depending on the level of difficulty you need to work through to integrate it). I’d love to hear how the experience is for you!

(list borrowed from http://russcelt.eu/commentary.htm)

Daily Om is something I heard about a few years ago and still have delivered to my Inbox. It is a fantastic reminder daily of how much possibility we have within each of us, how important it is to stop and breathe, and other aspects of conscious living.

To learn more, visit DailyOm.com