Finding A Way Through

Finding A Way Through

I’ve been working with my son recently, gently showing him there is a link between our mind and body. Sometimes our thoughts can lead to feelings and physical sensations in our body. Which in turn can lead to actions, like not wanting to go to school.

As a parent, it can be hard to see clearly and not let our own emotions and worries dictate what we do. Having the ability to observe my own thoughts and feelings as I work with my son’s thoughts and feelings is a delicate balancing act that allows us both to find a way through our challenges.

We call this the mind-body connection…

Why we make the same mistakes

Why we make the same mistakes

I was on the phone with a business contact discussing a project.

He apologized for being slightly late for the call and told me it was because he'd just cut himself with a kitchen knife that morning - and not only that, he'd actually cut himself twice, in the space of a week - on the same finger. He said he felt tired, like he was rushing around on autopilot.

He acknowledged how much time and energy he seemed to be wasting on simple tasks like chopping vegetables - all because he was tired, distracted and rushing. He could see it was taking longer to get things done, because he was rushing through his day.

So how does mindfulness help?

How to lose gracefully and come back stronger

 How to lose gracefully and come back stronger

It was her very first words that caught my attention.

As I was sitting watching the Women’s Wimbledon Final last week, I was struck by the powerful messages shared by Serena Williams, during a brief interview right at the end of the match. Having just lost 6-3 6-3 to Germany’s incredible Angelique Kerber she was asked to share her thoughts on the match, pausing several times to process her emotion before speaking, she said:

“It’s obviously disappointing, but I can’t be disappointed, I have so much to look forward to. I’m literally just getting started.”

As I sat watching her, you could feel her emotion. I felt the goosebumps…

Ice cream, Netflix and Mindfulness

Ice cream, Netflix and Mindfulness

When life tests you, I’ll bet the very first thing you do is find a quiet room and meditate, right?

Your cat just knocked over a vase with flowers, the laundry’s stacked up waiting to be folded, you’ve got an angry colleague you have to deal with, you’re going through a family crisis and amidst all of this, you reach for a meditation cushion. 

Wait, that’s not the first thing you think of doing?! 

I’ll let you into a little secret. It’s not the first thing I think of doing either.

The Antidote To Worry

The Antidote To Worry

I used to worry about stuff happening in my life and my work for days and weeks. Actually the truth be known, it could sometimes be months of ruminating, stewing and worrying. Worrying’s not all bad. It can be helpful to motivate us to take a positive action, but excessive worry is debilitating.

There are some simple things we can do to work with our worries, emotions and thoughts and lessen their impact. Would it surprise you to learn that we don’t have to change anything at all or fix anything in our selves?

50 ways to simplify life

50 ways to simplify life

One of the smartest things we ever did was begin to simplify our lives.

About four years ago, my husband and I sold a large home, removing one of our biggest financial burdens and downsized our family of four. For a time, Kijiji became our best friend and we sold or donated 60% of our possessions. We stopped buying 'stuff' we didn't need. 

What we've discovered is having less material things has created more space and energy in our lives to attend to each other and focus on the things that matter to us...

The Question To Ask Above All Others

The Question To Ask Above All Others

As I was making my daily matcha today, I thought about a speaking opportunity I'd applied for a few months ago. I'd submitted proposals a few times to speak to this particular conference and I had all but written them off because the deadline to announce speakers had once again passed. 

I sensed negative thoughts and began to feel angry and frustrated. I was thinking how many great speakers go unnoticed and getting madder by the minute. I began wondering why I didn't get selected. I started questioning whether I'm good enough, self-doubt began creeping in and I firmly decided I wouldn't re-apply a third time.

As I walked over to my desk I noticed a new email in my in-box from none other than the conference I was just stewing over...

Best Mindfulness Lessons Of 2017

Best Mindfulness Lessons Of 2017

We've curated a list of some of our best lessons, tips and tools from our 2017 blogs.

From self-care, emotional intelligence and self-awareness, to work-life happiness,  we hope you enjoy this simple summary of our best content this year! 

Be sure to check out the blog that inspired lesson #4. It's one of our most popular posts of 2017, with over 500 likes and shares on Facebook!

Here's eleven favourite mindful lessons from this year:

How To Make Each Moment Count This Holiday

How To Make Each Moment Count This Holiday

“Maybe Christmas,” thought the grinch, “doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

I love watching How The Grinch Stole Christmas each year especially when the Grinch’s small heart grows three sizes and he finds the strength of “ten Grinches, plus two.” 

I think the Grinch was on to something.

I think Christmas is more about being present with each other & not just giving presents. 

It’s about telling people how you feel. 

And forgiving each other. 

It’s about giving back and helping those in need.

The challenge of course, for many of us, is stress comes knocking on our door a little more frequently at Christmas...

Why The Time To Slow Down Is When You Don't Have Time

Why The Time To Slow Down Is When You Don't Have Time

When was the last time you kicked back, did absolutely nothing and investigated what it feels like to be bored? 

I'm guessing you might be challenged to pinpoint the time.

Avoiding boredom, staying busy, working longer hours, not taking care of yourself and celebrating that you can function on less sleep, won't help you achieve your goals faster.

Living our lives in this way, won't serve us, or others well. And in the long run it's likely going to cause illness and burnout.

Why then, do so many of us get stuck on this hamster wheel that keeps going faster and faster and doesn't stop unless we choose to stop it - or worse - when we're forced to? 

When you stop looking, you'll find it.

When you stop looking, you'll find it.

There was a time when I'd lose something or something would get lost, like a house key or my glasses. I'd worry about memory loss, wrack my brains trying to find whatever I lost and usually never could.

A causal search would swiftly turn into a frantic search. I'd get others involved in my quest, like my partner, and spread my frustration and panic onto them. And yes, I may have even gone a little berserk. 

Slowly but surely this has changed over the years.

It's not that I don't still lose things, it's that I'm more likely to let things be. When I lose something, one of the first things I do now, is I intentionally say to myself, "It will show up, I know it will." 

And you know what? It always does.

How To Get Life Back On Track

How To Get Life Back On Track

If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? 

For some, getting life back on track is a deep wish. 

It might be you want to get your life back on track after vacation, or perhaps get back on track with fitness, or financially. Maybe you want to get back on track after feeling lost in your work, or perhaps you want to get a relationship back on track.

We want to get back to a place of happiness, success and normalcy. We want to get back to that time and place when things were easier and life was more smooth sailing. And we want to stop the feeling of stress and anxiety.

But how do we get to that better place?

Before answering the question, let's consider the words of Eckhart Tolle, who said...

How Mindfulness Benefits Leaders

How Mindfulness Benefits Leaders

Some may argue mindfulness is so mainstream it's become a bit of a fad and is at risk of becoming part of the self help movement.

I don’t think this is a big issue (after all it's been around for thirty-five hundred years).

But it does make it more important when choosing a mindfulness advisor or consultant, that they have a deep daily personal practice and check their bio to make sure they're qualified or certified. 

Many people are now using this ancient practice to improve leadership skills. Not only does training in mindfulness help increase happiness and reduce stress, but it also promotes clear and creative thinking...

Finding calm in a noisy world

Finding calm in a noisy world

What if I told you that the secret to finding stress relief and calm was to stop trying to get calm or relaxed?

I'm not saying that lying on a beach, taking a vacation or going to the spa are the wrong things to do. They have a place in our life and are important. But when it comes to meditation and finding ways to relax and calm down, the last thing you want to do is say to yourself: “Man I’m feeling stressed. It feels like my head is spinning. I have to find a way to clear my busy mind.” 

One of the biggest myths about meditation is the belief that you have to somehow empty your head of thoughts, and achieve a kind of 'uber-focus' - like a zen monk.....

21 ways to bring mindful self-care to your day

21 ways to bring mindful self-care to your day

One of the things which often surprises people about mindfulness is how simple it is to bring it into your day. For those who don't feel like sitting and doing a formal meditation practice, there are many options and possibilities to try.

One of the most common benefits of practicing mindfulness is the decrease in stress and burnout and increase in resilience, focus and work-life happiness. And yes, the more you practice, the greater the benefits, but if you're just looking for a place to start there's some very simple things you can do, which don't require any extra time. 

Enjoy these twenty-one simple ways to bring mindfulness to your workday...

Mindfulness: No longer for hippies, now for CEOs

Mindfulness: No longer for hippies, now for CEOs

If you’d walked into a corporation 10 years ago to discuss the benefits of mindfulness and meditation for cultural effectiveness, leadership and the bottom line, it’s quite possible security would have discreetly ushered you out of the building. How would you have reacted if you saw your boss or colleague sitting at their desk with their eyes closed apparently doing nothing? Let’s be honest, you’d probably be at least a little skeptical and thinking your colleague’s either out to lunch, or playing hooky and avoiding work.  Fast forward to 2017 and you’ll discover a different reality....

How to calm the voice in your head

How to calm the voice in your head

I was heading to an appointment not long ago, it was one of those rare days when I wasn't rushing to get somewhere on time.

As I eased my way into the busy waiting room, I noticed there was only a short line-up at reception. What a stroke of luck! I headed straight over to register.

After letting the receptionist know I'd arrived, I asked her how she was doing? I knew a little bit about her, I knew she was interested in running or jogging at one time. So I casually asked her if she had done any running lately?

She shared with me that she hadn't been running nor had she been to the gym lately.  I remember the look on her face, she looked resigned and disappointed.

It's what happened next that I really want to share with you...

4 Simple Steps To Better Sleep

4 Simple Steps To Better Sleep

Do you have trouble sleeping? Maybe you wake up a lot during the night or have to get up to do something and then find you can't get back to sleep. Perhaps your thoughts are very active at night and it's hard to settle your mind. 

If this is you, you're not alone.

Most of us lead busy lives. So much of what we do is based on speed and being connected online 24/7. We get to the end of our day and we're exhausted. We may even get frequent head aches. It's no wonder when it comes to sleeping, it's really hard to settle our buzzing minds and relax. 

According to a study conducted in the UK, sleep disorders and sleep problems are more common than we think. Canada may be the third most sleep-deprived country in the world, with nearly a third of Canadians feeling like they don't sleep enough....

Your breath. A powerful ally.

Your breath. A powerful ally.

"As long as you're breathing, there's far more right than wrong with you no matter how ill or hopeless you feel." Jon Kabat-Zinn

If the only thing you do today is breathe, it's all good.

From the moment we're born, we breathe. It's instinctive. We don't learn how to breathe, it just happens. The trouble is, as we get older, we forget how to breathe. In fact, we aren't even consciously aware of our breathing. 

So we don't focus our attention on our breathing.

How to turn wounds into wisdom

How to turn wounds into wisdom
"Sometimes it takes great suffering to pierce the soul and open it up to greatness." Jocelyn Murray

Often we think of pain as something that has been inflicted on us, a stroke of very bad luck, the result of an unfair world, or bad fate in some way. An immense obstacle that propels us into primitive survival mode. It's ugly, uncomfortable and lonely. 

I'm going to throw caution to the wind here and say, I believe it is a gift to feel discomfort, and that when we avoid, ignore or try to hide from it, we are missing one of the greatest lessons that life has to offer. Every person wanting to find true peace and happiness should know this....