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A Nest, An Altar, An Amulet, Your Favorite Stone
I can hold it in my hand and know that I am home, that everything is OK, that I am safe. Creating Your Grateful Place No matter where you are or what circumstances surround you, gratitude remains a choice. But that choice may not present itself when you are immersed in whatever comes at…
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Float with the Flow
Flowers against my skin, dew transferred and absorbed, flowing with nature, united. Nature and My Nature I awoke before dawn. The magnificent colors of sunrise precede the actual emergence of the sun by quite a bit here. The sun languidly comes up when it is ready. Before the sun joined us I noticed…
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Three Slow Exhales with the Ocean
Each breath was slower than the one before until finally I sank into my true relaxed state. My jaw relaxed, my mind cleared, I felt fully immersed in the moment. What a gift. Three Long and Slow Exhales Sink deep into relaxation starting with three breaths. Exhaling long and slow is the key…
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A Night Off
What I need right now is to close this computer, drink some water, take care of my aching body, and drift off to sleep. And you know what? I am going to give myself that gift. What do you need right now? Please, for you, for those who love you, for all of us,…
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I’m Just So Tired
Well Not Just Tired Here goes the list of complaints: I am tired, very tired. My gums are throbbing with my bad tooth screaming to get out. I am stressed with a lingering obligation anchoring my every thought. I am hungry and I don’t even want to be writing right now. One thing I…
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The Worst Things about Yourself
Leaning In I was listening to an interview of advice columnist, Ask Polly, aka Heather Havrilesky. The interviewer asked her for advice on how to Be a Person in the World (the title of her upcoming book) and this was her answer. You’ve gotta lean way into what you already are. Lean way the…
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Writing Love Letters: Dear Morning …
A Month of Love Letters Today I received a lovely message with an invitation to write a month of love letters. But these aren’t your average love letters. These are love letters to ourselves, our bodies, our feelings and the world around us. In short they are a lovely gratitude practice. Today is April…
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I Really Should Be Doing That
Coaching Yourself Through Establishing a New Habit I co-facilitated a workshop on Saturday on mindful meditation and gratitude. As I listened to the woman talk about meditation I found myself being hard on myself about the fact that I have fallen out of my meditation practice. At the worst I called myself lazy and unfocused.…
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Can Gratitude Eliminate Depression?
Depression is Not a Lack of Gratitude Our topic this week is so important that I decided to make the article public for everyone to read. So in order to give you, the paid members, something special, I have recorded an mp3 so you can listen to the article while you drive, cook,…
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Change Your Mind in Five – a Gratitude Meditation
Unplug. Breathe. Take a Few Minutes Just For You. This time of year can get hectic. We are pulled in many directions with work and family and friends and events. Preserving traditions and making our own traditions. Adapting to celebrating the holidays without those who have left us. Sometimes we are an after-thought. Let’s…
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Desperately Seeking Abundance
When All Else Fails … Love Yourself I want a vast ocean of energy. I want a warm bath that holds me like a loving mom. I want to be able to give more. I want to be able to help more without checking my balance of energy. I want to love like I…
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Check In with Yourself – What is Really Going on in There?
Your Truth As you know I’ve been sick and it is reminding me how important it is to be in touch with our bodies. If we don’t take the time to check in how do we know what we need? Sometimes I operate on auto-pilot eating because of the time of day not because…
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Remember Those Days When You Were Focused on Gratitude?
Restore That Childlike Wonder Imagine a day. A normal Monday like today. Except this day the moments are slow, filled with wonder, curiosity and enjoyment. The colors you see are vivid because they are noticed and taken in completely. The leaves on the trees are calling out to you lighting a fire in your…
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Worried? Do You Keep Replaying Things in Your Head?
I Am Freaking Out Right Now! I’m stressed. I’m worried. The clock is ticking and I am pulled in so many directions with work, family, love, music and an ever-growing list of things that absolutely need to get done. On top of that I just shared whole lot of honesty with a colleague and friend…
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Dealing with Negativity
Hey! You! Get Off of My Cloud Do you have some negative people in your life at work, at home, in traffic, online or pretty much everywhere? Yeah, we all do. Actually each and every one of us are negative at times ourselves. One of my exes was so negative at a time when I…
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Turning It Downside Up
Lessons in ‘Should’ I woke up this morning itching to get away. I love my house but sometimes I feel trapped within its walls. On days like this I even resent working from home, something that I thoroughly enjoy. Immediately I had a solution. I needed a change of scenery. Yes, I’m sure I could…
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I Keep Getting Stood Up … By the Moon
Make Room for Gratitude I started a practice of moon bathing and I committed to doing it for at least one week. (You can too! Join us in the Moonbathers group.) This started in part because I have found that some of my best memories of solitude involve sitting outside at night alone under the…
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This Story Has Taught Me for Nine Years
Thank It and Release It Nine years ago I learned something profound about acceptance, gratitude and letting go that has never ceased to teach me. A Curandera was doing a limpia, an energetic cleansing that helps facilitate release, on a woman who was determined to let go of something that was negatively affecting her life.…
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Gratitude in Times of Tragedy
How Can I Be Grateful When There Is Violence All Around? Unimaginable tragedy came into our lives last week. The loss of nine lives, nine people who graciously accepted an outsider into their circle, praying together and most-likely thanking God for their blessings together. Tragedies like these can It makes everyday gratitude seem very unimportant.…
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Will you be jinxed if you do this?
Release the Jinx Some people say that they don’t want to say how good things are going for them out of fear of jinxing it. This superstition directly stands in the way of practicing gratitude because that’s what this practice is, drawing attention to the good things we are experiencing. Feeling fearful that good things…