Hi Everyone! Let’s collect hugs this weekend!  At one point in time, I had a 10 hugs a day rule.  I’m not quite sure how that was lost in the shuffle of life and changing roles. We do let go of things as we age and may decide that some of those things are worth returning to… hugs, for sure, are worth the effort!  Hug your people 🙂

I’m not suggesting you should put a sign out and offer free hugs (unless that’s something that meets your comfort) but how about the people you live with or interact with regularly? Hugs make a big difference in how you and others feel and they can increase levels of trust within yourself and within those interactions where you share a hug.

Happy Hugging!!

Valerie

Do you know that saying, “one step forward and two steps back”? I think that saying could use a little makeover…

In a celebration of our humanness – our imperfect perfection (as Jess would say) – I am reworking this phrase in my life and I hope you will join me!  It’s easy to let the small steps we take in making positive change go by the wayside, unnoticed.  Maybe you have a goal to not lose your temper so quickly, and after weeks of successful practice, you do lose your temper and then you feel you’ve failed your intention.  This can happen with emotional reactions, weight loss or gain goals, upkeep of your home, and the list goes on.

You deserve love and kindness and you can be your best ally in noticing your progress and practicing forgiveness when something slips.  Some things in life do call for a reaction, and sometimes you pick up or drop off a few pounds, maybe there’s a pile of dishes and a load of laundry you meant to take care of yesterday, and sometimes maybe that’s all okay because you’re putting those TWO STEPS FORWARD in bold letters and that one step back gets a little less limelight.

Make gratitude a part of your practice!  It lifts spirits and shifts perspectives.  There are so many simple joys around you waiting to be recognized.  Notice them, talk about them, and take time to write them down!  When you notice your joys and write them out, they take on a secure form within you as the spoken words and action of writing these words alters your focus.  It feels fantastic and it doesn’t have to be a long and involved process!  Sit with your heart, go basic, and let gratitude become part of your day!

My 7 year old son asks me this every night.  This is how we end the day at his bedtime and now, after about 6 months, he initiates it.  For months he loved to hear what I was grateful for each day and would ‘ditto’ those.  It seemed like a special surprise or treat anytime I said that I was grateful for HIM or a specific time shared with him that day.  Now he is catching on and has his own ‘gratefuls’.  This is not only a beautiful ritual to build into your day and your families but it actually reduces stress hormones, like Cortisol, in your body.  Other practices for bedtime that reduce stress hormones and prepare your body and mind for deep, content sleep are intentional breathing and less to NO screens an hour before bed.  

Try  breathing in through your nose for 4 seconds, emulate a slow sip to elongate and then breathing out thoroughly for 6-8 seconds.  Until your lungs feel truly empty.

Keep this up for at least 2 minutes as you first rest your head on your pillow and hands are on belly.

Sweet Dreams.

An affirmation from Edgar Cayce that can bring a quiet purpose to your doings:

Let me be a channel of peace in the world

Repeated in the morning and throughout the day, this may surprise you in the ways it can weave itself into the fabric of your interactions as your perception changes and you become a more integrated piece of the whole.  You may find yourself with words you haven’t heard yourself speak before that prove to be the guidance or reassurance another needs…

Ask yourself  when interacting with others:

How can my presence contribute to this? What can I give or offer?

Remembering to prompt yourself in this way while confirming your presence as benefical to others removes any intention of gain.  It assists with resetting curiosity, approach, and approachableness.

Meditation on loving kindness:

I notice how my body feels and the thoughts that occupy my mind.  I give full attention to what I find there.  As I focus my attention on any discomfort, tension, anxiety, fear, easiness, calm, joy, – any and all sensations residing in me- I meet them with loving kindness.  I move towards and sit with the sensations I experience.  There is no resistance, only acknowledgement and acceptance.  With loving kindness all is dissolved and I am free of what was held.

Being curious about yourself and your experience can release judgments you may be in the practice of imposing.

Ask yourself: What can I contribute to today?  How can I approach the situations I encounter with ease?   How can every moment be infused with a lighter tone and willingness to explore what is offered?

Honoring a joyful curiosity is something we do naturally in childhood.  Releasing the layers of conditioning brought on with age, and keeping vigilant about holding a fresh perspective will help you to see and behave differently.  It will change all of your experiences.