we interrupt the previously scheduled blog to bring you this...

i'm still compiling stress-less sequences for you -some pulled from work i do with my classes+clients- however, i came across this tranquility list from the beautiful and inspiring kimberly wilson and wanted to share it with you. 

wanna infuse tranquility into your everyday life?  here's some tips from the queen of serene:

~live simply~



~read great women writers~


~spend less than you make~


~give back~


~travel~


~do work that you are passionate about~


~take time outs~


~exercise your body + mind daily~


~respond vs react~


~eat + drink nourishing yumminess~


~create daily~


~let your life be an artistic expression~


~make everything you do an experience~
 
here's the rest of her blog
 
do you practice any of these tranquil tips?
i find myself focusing on the 'make everything an experience' and 'respond vs. react' right now.  i kind of relate the experience one to staying present and indulging in the moment.
 

100th post!

in honor of my 100th post, i thought it would be fun to share a journaling exercise with you compliments of Hip Tranquil Chick (and if you haven't picked up HTC, a fabulous book by the inspiring Kimberly Wilson, run -don't walk-to your nearest book store and grab it!)

HTC is infused with different ideas for jump starting the life you want. it's packed with awesome yoga sequences to fit your every move, great advice on getting what you want personally and professionally and offers ways to dig deep down and discover what you really want and what really makes you happy.

so this particular exercise caught my eye and its focused on finding your passions.

write 20 passions that bring you pure bliss:

1 reading

2 writing (creative writing)

3 practicing yoga

4 learning about yogic philosophies

5 running (first 5k is in 4 weeks!)

6 traveling

7 fashion, creating looks/outfits

8 cooking, exploring different diets and how they impact my body

9 helping others overcome anxiety

10 holistic health

11 modern art

12 listening to 60s and 70s rock

13 animals

14 coaching, motivating students

15 drawing

16 adventure/challenge

17 meditation and introspection

18 Buddhism

19 learning

20 psychology, studying the mind

write 10 causes that inspire you

1 animal rights

2 environmentalism

3 mental health awareness (MHA)

4 activism for women's rights (NOW)

5 creating awareness about the importance of health (discover and recover, UNICEF, make a wish)

6 global and national antipoverty movements

7 human rights (oxfam)

8 fight against cancer (team in training)

9 creativity and creative arts

10 food drives, clothing drives, etc.

write out your top 10 strengths

1 detail oriented

2 hard working, dedicated

3 writing

4 creating goals, strategic planning

5 creative

6 work well with others/in groups

7 determined

8 decorating/designing

9 public speaking

10 quick study

now, my job is to look over these lists and look for similarities. i'm going to see if common themes emerge or if i can tie things together and bring more of these aspects into my life. maybe i can use some of these ideas to reevaluate my goals and make sure i'm on the right path.

so as i start that, grab your journal or notebook and start your own lists. see if you have anything pop out at you that you may have overlooked. take your time and really search your heart. maybe while researching causes that inspire you, you'll find the perfect charity to volunteer with that will allow you the opportunity to display your passions for public speaking and event planning!

*exercise courtesy of hip tranquil chick by kimberly wilson

* image: english language expert

negative spinning

i've dubbed my endless cycles of worrying 'negative spinning' because the racing thoughts mimic spinning out of control. we've all been there at some point. our mind is creatively whipping up doom and gloom situations that we waste endless amounts of time obsessively worrying about and feverishly working to avoid. my husband called me out on my negative spinning concerning our upcoming trip to europe.

so we leave next friday and while i find myself exhilarated at the thought of 2 weeks adventuring around europe, i also find myself equal parts worried. what if our flight is delayed and we miss our cruise departure? what if our luggage gets lost? what if our planned excursions get mixed up and/or canceled? what if there's very little vegetarian options to eat? what if...what if... what if...

my mind is extremely creative when coming up with 'what if' scenarios. however, what about the fun WHAT IFs? WHAT IF this is one of the most memorable trips of my life? WHAT IF my husband and i meet amazing people? WHAT IF we get to experience things we never thought we would? WHAT IF we become fulfilled in more ways than we can imagine? and the one 'what if' i should be most concerned about.... WHAT IF i never want to leave!

why isn't my mind spinning out of control with these fabulous thoughts? i've spent a lot of time picking up fun things for the trip including $100 worth of books (yes, it's an addiction) and piles of new clothes that i finally get to wear! we've poured over websites and booked mind blowing excursions that promise fun and adventure. so why am i only consumed with thoughts of lost luggage?

so forget it! i'm throwing caution to the wind (well, any caution left over after i finish all my vacation prep!) and i'm taking this trip for what it is... an amazing trip full of fun, inspiration, experience and of course, tons of uninterrupted time with my incredible hubby. so here's to fun and being carefree! and anytime i catch myself 'negative spinning' i'm going to plan out a fabulous outfit for dinner in venice or imagine the sights we'll see strolling through croatia. we've waited a long time for this trip and i absolutely refuse to let useless negative spinning ruin this for me.

image: yahoo travel

I'm Inspired

I fell asleep last night thinking about people I admire. When I woke up this morning I became inspired to write down their names and a list of their traits because I was curious to see if they had any similarities. Here's what I came up with:

1) travel ( a lot!)
2) created their own companies
3) their missions are to help people become stronger, healthier and/or more confident
4) they live, breathe, eat and sleep their passions... every day!
5) a lot of them are women

I found this so interesting. A lot of their goals are similar to mine (even outside of these similarities). I feel that if I had the chance to chat with any of these fabulous women I could spend endless amounts of time picking their brains and learning from them. There's far too few people in life that can say "work isn't work, it's my passion." These women inspire me because they fought the odds and the safety of job security to chase a dream - and regardless of whether they are famous for it or not or rich beyond their wildest dreams - they have succeeded. They've strived for something. Set a goal. Felt the anxiety. Pushed past the fear. And are living a dream dedicated to helping others be the best selves they can be! No wonder these chicks totally inspire me.

where do you find it?

i'm talking about inspiration?

it's no surprise that it takes dedication and determination to overcome panic attacks and anxiety, but it also takes inspiration. i don't think i could have taken that first step on my journey had i not been inspired to. it's so easy to stay still - firmly rooted in our comfort zones. it takes something special to give us the desire to move out of that box.

i find inspiration from my students. i find inspiration from my teachers. i find inspiration from friends and family, books, my work, magazines, blogs.... i am always striving to find something that makes me want to push a little harder. inspiration gives us desire. desire is our opportunity to create change. change gives us freedom.

so? where do you find it?

Real World...Real Problems

It's been years since I've tuned into the latest season of The Real World, but for some reason (perhaps because of the NY stomping grounds!) this past season caught my attention. I watched it on and off for a few episodes and happen to catch some of the reunion show that aired last night. Now I don't know if you've seen any episodes or if you're even familiar with the cast, but I just had to acknowledge Baya from this season.

Baya wasn't seen a lot in the show. A spunky hip hop dancer, they maybe dedicated 2 episodes to her (if even) and she remained predominantly background decoration. When they mentioned this on the reunion show Baya came out and said she suffers from anxiety and when she was going through anxious episodes or having panic attacks she stayed away from the camera.

Wow! Didn't see that coming. I think it would've been a terrific opportunity to show viewers that anxiety exists in all kinds of people-it knows no bounds. I think it could've been a chance to show young people what anxiety is about and how it affects people. I think Baya is inspiring because, even though this fact about her wasn't given air time, she still stepped out of her comfort zone and moved into a house with 7 strangers and tried to persue her dreams. That's inspiring!

so here's to Baya-you rock girl! I'm so glad she took the chance to tell the world what she was going through and continued to perservere!

Inspiration Comes in Many Forms

Have you ever felt insignificant compared to someone? If you don’t compare yourself to other people, then congrats! You are way ahead of the game. But I however, still fall into this trap. Every now and then I get what it is called a “girl crush.” I’ll see a girl or meet a girl and when I learn her story I find out she’s inspiring. Maybe she can balance a full time job with two kids, a husband, volunteer at an animal shelter and still find the time to happily bake a cake. Or perhaps she’s an entrepreneur that founded her own company, jets around the country, manages a team of employees and in her spare time competes in triathlons. You get the picture.

Now immediately, I’m in awe of these people. Then right after the initial impressiveness wears off I get those nagging feelings of how much my accomplishments pale in comparison. Right now I feel so exhausted from work, yoga and fitting in personal training sessions that I’ve pretty much abandoned my goal of running my first 5k this year and I’ve not seen nor eaten a home cooked meal in days! I wonder why some people have all this energy and enthusiasm for life and are truly non-stop while I’m always struggling to catch up. Some people have more experiences in their teens then I may have my whole life… Now I’m still young and I know I have time to do things, but when I look at what other people do (and automatically decide that I at some point want to do it to) I find that I’m going to run out of time. I struggle to balance everything and when I over-plan I get stressed… before I know it I start to feel pangs of anxiety.

I think this is another reason I’m so determined to rid myself of anxious feelings. In the back of my mind I always wonder… if I had the chance to travel and explore the world or run my own company… would my anxiety mess it all up? Would I blame anxiety for incompetence if I did fail? So many fears and questions…

But I do try to look at this as a good thing. I might always compare myself to other girls that I am inspired by or in awe of, but rather then focusing on the negatives in my life when I do it, I should use it as inspiration to change what makes me unhappy. I know my stressing and anxiety tire me out – but I need to look at these girls and try to embrace their spirit and excitement for life. Something interesting that I learned once was that anxiety and excitement often feel the same – what separates them is how they are perceived. So maybe these girls feel anxious when they are out conquering the world, but they see it as excitement. And maybe, as I work on changing my perception, I’ll see it that way too. I don’t really know if comparing myself to people is good or bad… but I guess the lesson to be learned is what I get out of the comparison. If it’s motivation to strive for what I want and the courage to take on challenges, then maybe it’s not such a bad thing. Maybe “girl crushes” are more valuable than we think! And who knows…. Maybe one day I’ll be someone else’s “girl crush!”