Sometimes I feel the pull as soon as I open my eyes. If the previous day's problems don't get resolved, the weight can often feel heavy in the fog of early morning. Even after a cup of coffee, I find myself wrestling with my thoughts. Managing our brains around both big and little problems isn't always easy, but it is necessary. That's why one of the most important ways to live refreshed is to choose the best thoughts for ourselves, around EVERYTHING. It's natural for our thinking to default to the worst case scenario. It's our way of preparing for potential risks and danger because our brains are designed to expect the worst. It's a protection mechanism, and although we need this to keep ourselves safe from real danger, it can also become a barrier to simply enjoying each day apart Continue Reading
Refresh With a Dream Day
Are you familiar with a dream day? It is the perfect invitation to step away from all that stresses and robs us of current joy. It's a somatic way to connect with who we desire to be, not who we find ourselves being in the present moment, especially if who we are is tired, overwhelmed, stressed and longing for more. Regardless of our phase of life, we all have goals and dreams. They are what fuels us to keep moving forward in life. They excite, refresh and give hope of better things to come. Think back to a time when you were so looking forward to an event you knew was coming in the future - a party, vacation, wedding, reunion. Most likely you spent much of your time thinking about it, anticipating, planning and envisioning every detail. And as you did, your senses helped to create Continue Reading
The Art of Curating Refreshment
Curating refreshment is at the top of my bucket list this summer. I know if I don't, moments of pleasure will pass me by and I'll miss out on so much waiting to mesmerize and delight. Planning refreshment sounds like it should be easy, but I don't find that to be the case. Maybe it's the same for you. Like me, you may find great energy in filling your day with multi-tasking and plenty of accomplishments to check off the list of To-Do's. No judgement here; it just means we have to be more intentional in making sure we're not burning out. We value ourselves too much to neglect planning refreshing pleasure in our day, around our work and throughout our responsibilities of life. I enjoy the story of an a woman in France who sat outside a café, ordered her typical light lunch, and a café au Continue Reading
The Refreshed Woman Series
Summer brings with it an invitation to be refreshed! By the time June rolls around, my mind, body and soul are feeling the strain of a full and busy schedule. When I look through my packed agenda, my soul immediately yearns for the slow ease of reclaiming and nourishing myself from the inside out. As women, we know very well how to burn the candle at both ends. We juggle, multi-task and make it look easy, but all of this energy spent takes a toll. Our feminine essence longs to transition from so much doing into rejuvenated being. Where time passing isn't marked with ticking but with full, expansive breath and slow, cleansing exhales, as our soul begins to come alive again. We may be comfortable and capable in the realm of doing, but we thrive in the realm of being. ~taking our Continue Reading
Puttin’ On Your Big Girl Pants – 5 Essentials to Mental Strength
If there was ever a week when I needed mental strength, it's been this week. It's been a week of one step forward and three steps back as I've fought to make my voice heard in a world of men, picked up the pieces of someone else's mistakes, waited for truth to find its way to the top of a very messy situation and tried desperately to walk in the footsteps of both confidence and humility. In the quiet of my four walls, I've cried, stomped, and wrestled through a sea of egos, including my own, and contemplated how even a well-meaning cluster of humanity has the ability to hurt so many in its path. How it tarnishes and rusts a foundation. How it can swallow us whole in the sea of emotions if we let it. But we can't let it. Because what we do and how we do it Continue Reading