wellness

Image: source

Your Mind, Body & Spirit

• Remember that your body believes what you tell it and it will act accordingly.  Talk to your body (seriously!) and tell it want you want to occur and/or thank it for getting your attention.  Be positive when talking to your body and be grateful for the messages it sends you. 
• Daily Self-talk – Flood your mind with positive thoughts, peace, joy, happiness and comfort.
• Do your best to keep balance and harmony with all things.
• End the day with positive messages to yourself.  If you have children, this is an excellent time to talk to them and give them positive messages to sleep with.  Tell them that tomorrow will be a happy day, tell them how grateful you are, tell them the things you love about them, tell them that they are happy, healthy, strong, loving and whole.  Say the same things to yourself too!
• When you can, get outside and enjoy the fresh air.  If there is sun shining, make sure you enjoy it and soak up the vitamin D.  Be out in nature as much as possible.  Your body will thank you.
• Get some form of exercise, our bodies are not meant to be sedentary. 
• Make sure to get plenty of rest.  If you do get sick, honor your body by resting and sleeping as much as you need to.

Children's Meditation

About 3 years ago my oldest son whom is 7 started a yoga class. I was in the mist of finding a mindfulness routine and meditation practice and stumbled on a yoga poster at the studio after a relaxation yoga class. I had practiced yoga in college after taking an Eastern Philosophy class but after the birth of my first child I neglected my practice. My life was typical of a stay at home mom with two small children aged 2 & 4. I was stressed, tired, and being pulled in both directions. When I went to relaxation yoga I re-grounded (a term I did not quite understand) and unwound the days (years) of tension that had built in my body. If I could gift these skills to my children at a young age maybe they could avoid the anxiety that I suffered from and have tools that I wish I had, as a child. I signed Brody up hoping my rambunctious and energetic son would make it through the first 15 minutes before they asked him to leave. However I underestimated the power we all feel when someone guides us into relaxation and how blissful it makes even the "energetic child". He not only made the first 15 minutes but the entire hour asking when he could go back?! It seemed like a miracle! He continued to go and week after week I could see moments in our daily life where he would take breaths and use the skills he was acquiring. I was so intrigued that it sparked a curiosity for me and path to working with children and mindfulness.   My world open up to teacher's of mindfulness like Jon & Mayla Kabet-Zinn and Thich Nhat Hanh. My life purpose came into focus with mindfulness and the impact it has for children and adults.

If you are an experienced in meditation or someone like me a few years ago, trying it as a beginner I have a link to some wonderful children's mindfulness exercises read by Mayla Kabet-Zinn. You may want to sit with the exercises before sharing with your own children. Practice them a few times and then use Mayla's relaxing voice or use the comfort of your own.
Blessings.

Sitting Still Like a Frog

Mindfulness Exercises for Kids (and Their Parents)

By Eline Snel

love and light

Let me introduce myself and this space as a place to share love and light. All are welcome to dwell in the shared words and positive energy. I have a daily mindfulness practice and continue to work on attaining a higher vibration for mind, body and spirit. I may post others art work or words but will credit where credit is due. Feel free to join my circle and feel grounded and peaceful. Some of you may need a reconnection to spirit or help through a difficult season in life or just for the joy. Hopefully what I share can touch each one of you with positive energy. Here is the first post:

Artist:Unkown

Grounding Breaths

Take three deep breaths and know you are being held by the universe in each breath. 
Feel your aliveness and gift each breath gives.
Raise your arms above your head with courage as the positive energy flows down your arms, through the middle of your body, down each leg and ground you as strong roots into the earth.

Blessings.