Just like brushing my teeth
Those tools have become as essential and regular for me as brushing my teeth or washing my face every morning. My practice gives me a way to tap into a place that allows my body to self-heal and re-connect to me and my divine essence and I have more capacity to deal with whatever life deals me. After fifteen years of dedicating an hour of my day to my practice, there are still mornings I  have to convince myself to begin! However, once I light my incense as a ritual of my intention to create this sacred space and allow my body to stretch, I am almost instantly transported into a new and better place.

You can feel this way too
If you dedicate the time to practice every day you too will begin to see a real difference, increased energy, a sense of calm, and more joy. Yoga is not an exercise that asks you to wear special clothes, hang out with an incense-burning crowd, or become vegetarian. It can begin as simply as taking some time to explore the idea of focusing your attention in a new way. You can wear your p.j.’s, relax in a quiet space and count your breaths, or try out some gentle stretches with focused awareness in a pair of jeans, or sit and quietly meditate on your bus ride home.

How I came to yoga
I began with a weekly Wednesday morning gentle breath-based yoga class in a local activity center—on Wednesdays I felt fantastic, and so I kept going.What I am suggesting is you decide what might work for you—what you can do to ensure that you will begin to care for your body and soul. And if that means a morning walk while focusing on each step in connection with your breath, or any of the  numerous ways reconnecting with you happens– just do it.

Crave the good feeling
What I can say, is that once you get a taste for the good feelings of caring for YOU can bring–be prepared to continue, as your body and mind will crave the repercussions of balance–ultimately healthier, happier and more at ease in this new and better place. Nothing beats a certified, enthusiastic, compassionate teacher to guide you on your path. I frequently remind others the best way to find a class that fits is—to make it convenient, and resonate with your teacher. If you aren’t too sure about the session, keep looking—the good news is you can sign up for a yoga class almost anywhere: a local gym or YMCA, a studio, or a church hall. Set your intention and dedicate your energy to making it happen. You’ll be so glad that you did.

My current workshop EVENTS OR Can’t make it to class? Check out my Free Guided Relaxation Podcasts as a tool to get you started.

I am so excited to be spending a week at the incredible Cal-a-Vie Health Spa and Resort in Northern San Diego, CA.

Helping the guests of Cal-a-Vie find a moment’s peace is my mission!

Spend time with your daughter, stretch your body, find balance as you color a mandala and set a healthy 2011 intention, planted with a guided relaxation.

Come and join us!

Sign up on line at Joy Yoga or telephone (713) 868-9642.

COST: $95.00 ( Includes take home tools: A Moment’s Peace, Sounds of Stillness CD & Coloring Mandala Meditation Workbook)

SIGN UP: telephone 713 523 5800.

In this workshop we will focus on gentle yoga asana with an emphasis on breathing, body awareness and relaxation plus mandala drawing. Mandalas create patterns the mind can understand, thus bringing order and harmony. Techniques of self-reflection and goal setting, followed with a guided relaxation to “plant the seeds” of intention that conclude the session.

Shifting gears
The sensation didn’t arrive in an instant. It was steady and gradual. The opportunity to unwind,  to feel deeply relaxed and content– like sinking into a warm and soothing bath tub after a long tiring day. A feeling that made it’s way through me, traveling up from the soles of my feet, the back of my knees, hips, through my fingers, hands, arms, shoulders and neck all the way to the top of my head–one of those blissful sensations that I want to continue to savor and call back as I write this post. This afternoon with Master Miao Tsan and the people of the Vairocana Zen Monastery in Garden Grove, California (one neighborhood over from Disney Land) allowed me to shift gears from feeling pressured to keep up with life and step into a new world, one fresh with subtle but powerful awareness in the present moment.

Un-kinking the built up pressure

Arriving earlier than my scheduled 1:30 meeting, brought me the good fortune of a lunch invitation. After our silent meal of  fragrant vegetables and rice Master Miao Tsan and I walked in the garden. Mindfully walking, we stopped each time we made conversation. I talked about my work, new project ideas, my life in Houston. He listened. It felt as if I was an un-kinked garden hose that now free from built up pressure was able to release and pour freely.

Understanding each other

After our walk we were met Jay, a gentle mannered engineer with NASA, who translated the arranged meeting by our mutual publisher– as simpatico themes run through our books. Before Jay arrived  (even with the few words spoken) my communication with Master Miao Tsan felt very rich. Perhaps it was the intensity or intentionality of our awareness and  the true interest in understanding each other.

The annoying ache in my shoulder disappeared

I then asked the master if we could meditate for a few minutes before I left, and once more his generous sweet nature shone through and accommodated my request.  As I began to settle into my body and deepen my breath, the master took hold of my hand. This experience was something I hadn’t anticipated. What I felt next was something like the Los Angeles freeway system running through my body. It was as if I had a circuit of high speed energy traveling through me. It’s hard to describe how long it lasted but the feeling was so freeing, like opening a blocked traffic-laden road. The annoying ache in my shoulder disappeared.

The master then left to attend other business while Jay and I remained seated in our meditation. A peaceful quietness wrapped itself around me, kind of like a blanket of  “life is good” serenity. My afternoon finished with good-bye wishes and a promise to return. That’s a promise I plan to keep.

Moment to moment awareness
Everyday life is chock-full of opportunity to live with mindfulness. Imagine life filled with blissful moments–for me, that can be as simple as noticing as the humidity lifts and I breathe in fresh crisp air, or maybe it’s truly enjoying my aromatic and flavorful lunchtime noodle salad. What I call “present moment” or mindfulness is really a simple three thousand year old Zen practice that is also referred to as mindfulness meditation, and it’s a valuable gift you can give yourself.

If you too, would like to meet Master Miao Tsan (and  you live in the Houston area)– he is visiting the week of November 15, 2010. Check out his schedule of events and his new  book,   Just Use This Mind, it’s one I am looking forward to keeping on my shelf.

CEO Christopher Gavigan shared the story of why he wrote his book Healthy Child Healthy World and talked about how to create a greener, cleaner, non-toxic world for your child. I fielded questions about how to create a healthier life for your family while Matthew Tejada, with Air Alliance Houston gave us an update on the Safe Chemicals Act that has been proposed in Congress.

Check out the video  A Wake Up Story

My publisher, Bright Sky Press along with social media guru Kirtsy cooked up the idea for me to help a mom create peace and calm in their life in conjunction with my latest book, A Moment’s Peace: A Mom’s Guide to Creating Calm Amidst Chaos.

Jen submitted her name and entered the contest. And, just as life seems to sometimes have mysterious ways of finding solutions, I began to understand why Jen had won and could truly use a moment’s peace. Together Jen and I where about to craft ideas and remedies for more peace and calm amidst the life of a mom who was in the middle of transitioning between leaving a fifteen year career as the national director for Young Life to caring for three young boys (one with Down Syndrome) in her California home.

The day was here
The contest day had arrived. Jen picked me up from my hotel and as she got out of her car to greet me I felt as if I was hugging an old friend. Her natural warmth radiated out to me and made me feel as a “local” in an unfamiliar city. We drove off to one of her favorite cafe’s for lunch and I knew this was going to be tons of fun.

Loved the conversation
The cafe was actually a bakery too. The scent of freshly baked bread and a relaxed ease with Jen created more than my delicious sandwich– it was a Californian treat.  As we ate we told each other our stories. We talked about my books and how my son’s illness was the catalyst for entering into my work today. Jen shared her life, her joys and her struggles. I loved our conversation. Real. Not forced. Natural. The kind of conversation I like to have. The kind that allows one to get directly to the point. No tennis-match-style formality back and forth about a correct and polite life. What I took from our conversation was Jen’s grace under pressure. Our conversation (which lasted nearly 12 hours straight) felt like twelve minutes. For me, that’s a crystal clear sign that life has unfolded exactly as it should. Time is a funny thing. An elusion of “not enough” or “slips away”, are always positive signs for me that I am in my groove.

Creating a peaceful vibe
After lunch, we drove to Jen’s house. Both of us excited to get started in creating a peaceful vibe to run through her charming home and life in San Diego. As we pulled into her drive I could sense that Jen had a natural “effortlessly put together” kind of style. She made us a delicious coffee to sip on and we settled into the chairs on the porch just outside her kitchen.
Over the afternoon we talked about lots of thing. A few main points that I hope made the same impression on Jen, as they did on me in creating a peaceful space in her home and life are these:

• Strike a balance everyday. Translation: take time everyday for Jen. I suggested 20 minutes a day at minimum. This time is dedicated for caring for body and soul. Whether that’s yoga, a walk, gardening, meditating or soaking in the bath. Just do it. Eventually this begins to feel as natural as forming a smile or taking a breath!

• Set the intention and dedicate your energy. What needs to shift in life? It’s hard to fix a problem until you call out what that issue is. Think about what you want. Then set the intention and dedicate your energy to making that change happen.

• Clear clutter. Even if it’s the kitchen junk drawer. Start small. The shield-your-eyes closet or over-stuffed drawer needs to be cleared. Clearing with intention not only physically, but emotionally makes “room” for the new– freedom, opportunities or even new “stuff” to enter in!

• Use your intuition. What feels right? Think about your space. How do you use it? How can you use it better? Right now, which room in your house “feels” the best? Why?

• Collect a few things to a place near you that bring comfort and represent beauty or a connection to something beyond this world–the flame of a candle, a flower, a photo. Create sacred space.

Using this list of ideas above we moved through Jen’s house to create a new feeling. As we spent the afternoon moving from room to room talking through ideas Jen and I both realized that the shift had already begun. The atmosphere in Jen’s home and life had already started to change. A new peace was almost palpable.

Small Steps to a better place
Think about which room (or part of a room) in your home holds a special quiet feel to it. What does your current space need to create privacy, a serene or uninterrupted  refuge? Is it clean and welcoming? What can you do to make it sacred and beautiful? Finding your way out of an overwhelming place happens in small steps. Adding lots of little steps together eventually leads you to a place where a clear, calm, positive mental attitude ripples out into every aspect of your life.

The suggestions above come from A Moment’s Peace: A Mom’s Guide To Creating Calm Amidst Chaos. For more ideas check out A Moment’s Peace Daily Inspiration or a guided relaxation podcast to help create a moment’s peace in your every day.

A note of special thanks to my good friend Shannon Mann of Mann Designs for her prior design consultation in helping Jen’s home feel beautifully peaceful.

This is how I felt when I recently came across the site- Mother Nature Network (MNN). I also discovered one of their writers  Jen Savadge who writes about green parenting, raising eco-friendly kids and she had this to say about Finding A Moment’s Peace

Check it out- they have loads of great information.

P.S. Haven’t been on vacation this summer? Need a virtual one? Check out Mother Nature Network’s slide show 8 of the Greatest Eco-Friendly Beaches

Research shows that to make any change it takes 28 days to create a new behavior or habit.I am providing you with 28 days of daily inspirations to create more peace, joy and well-being in your life.

Sign up here and each day you will receive a daily inspiration. Let’s make this change together!

Read my recent post on Weil Baby Simply Beautiful: Natural Cleaning Alternatives to Household Chemicals

Here are my best five tips:

How to Clean Naturally–Get Back to Basics

1. Microfiber cloth. This fantastic little cloth gets the great all- around award for cleaning any surface and it just needs to be dampened with water. When it’s dirty toss it into your washing machine.
2. Vinegar. Equal parts vinegar and water become your spray bottle of disinfectant. Add a few drops of your essential oil (lavender, lemongrass or rosemary are great choices) and you have a disinfectant that smells good, too.
3. Baking Soda. Becomes your paste cleaner when sprinkled on a half of lemon. Smells fantastic and cleans even lime scale.
4. Lemon. use it with olive oil for furniture polish, or take a wedge and whiz around your sink to keep it squeaky clean.
5. Essential Oil. I use essential oils for many purposes besides cleaning, however they work well as cleaners and leave that lovely clean scent behind.

If you prefer to have some help with “getting it all together” check out this Eco-Me Cleaning Kit