Showing posts with label relaxation. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Inspiring Mindfulness

Posted by Amazing People, on 5:37 PM
Today I'm thinking about mindfulness.
About being in the moment.
About savoring every second.
About the power of deep breathing.


You see, chaos has come calling a lot lately; 
October tends to be like that.
Lots of planning, lots of running around.
Football games.
Band competitions.
Homecoming Weekend.
Character Counts Week.
Red Ribbon Week.
Fall festivals.
At-risk data collection.
SOCKtober.
Halloween.
But just because chaos invites us in
doesn't mean we have to go, right?
I found myself helping some fifth-grade girls
breathe through their drama today,
and wondered why I don't do more of that for myself.
Breathe.
Just breathe.
And be.
Just be.
I often wake up craving a nap.
To get away.
To relax.
To restore.
And I think it's a wake-up call
to do a better job with mindfulness and self-care.

So in my research, I've found these resources:
Click {here} for a post for ideas to help us pause & refocus.
Help manage big emotions with these yoga poses.
Check out these fun mindfulness exercises.
A meditation for your wandering mind {here}.

***************************

In case you missed my guest post at Free Spirit Press last week on the importance of teaching fairness, click {here} to go there.

And, as an update in our personal journey,


Joshua's high school marching band


qualified as one of the 39 6A bands to march in the


Texas State Marching Band Competition.


So next Tuesday, they'll take their show called


Dot To Dot


to San Antonio to perform in the Alamodome.


As the dots on the field during this year's poetry-in-motion unfold,
engaged spectators are visually inspired with reminders to

Look Forward,
Trust In Something,
Follow Your Heart,
Connect The Dots.

We are so proud of their hard work,
their determination and drive,
their passion and perseverance
in their quest for the best
and we thank the dedicated directors,
the proud and very patient parents,
and the valued volunteers
for giving of their time and talent
to be that village that every child needs.

Good luck, Band.







Monday, April 4, 2016

The Practice of Mindfulness

Posted by Amazing People, on 2:00 PM
Today I'm excited because I'm on assignment again at Free Spirit and, this time, I'm talking about the practice of mindfulness. Click the graphic below to go there and read my guest post.


What are some ways that you help yourself stay in the moment?

Check out Go Zen {here}, 
Goldie Hawn's MindUP curriculum {here}, 
and HeartMath Tools {here}.

Then, before the week is out, challenge yourself to actively notice
five new things about a loved one, a favorite activity, or a place that you frequent. Predict what might surprise you. How might doing this more often help you? How does being in the moment and getting in touch with all of your senses enrich your daily habits and routines?








Sunday, March 6, 2016

Being Strong

Posted by Amazing People, on 6:30 PM
As I close my eyes for the night, I've got this weekend's renewal retreat on my mind. To be perfectly honest, I didn't want to go. I told myself it wouldn't be the same without my cousin Amy, who went with me last year. I told myself that I didn't have the energy to go. I told myself I wasn't feeling strong enough right now, to be social, to connect, and to share. The truth is that I needed to go, Amy or no Amy, to find that energy, to regain that strength. It wasn't by accident that I wore my Ellie's Explorers shirt to climb the Challenge Tower yesterday.

Click the t-shirt to support Ellie's Stroll Against Epilepsy.
Ellie is one of my heroes; 
I wrote about her {here} back in 2012.
She was on my heart as I ascended that fifty-foot tower.


I decided to take the climb slow and steady,


to stay in the moment.


I noted the breeze as I rested on the ledge


and was keenly aware of the warm sun on my skin.


Sometimes those blocks seemed just out of reach


and at one point, I almost said enough.


That's when the coach on the belay pointed out that


I was only a body's length from reaching my goal.


So despite shaky legs and weakened hands, I kept going.


You'll have to take my word about the breathtaking view at the top.


Life's a climb like that.
Sometimes things get challenging and it seems like our goals are
 just out of reach.
But we forge on,
cheered on by those who love us,
stopping to rest when we need to,
and making sure 
to be in the moment,
to breathe in the journey,
to enjoy the view along the way.

Thank you, Ellie, for showing me what
being strong 
looks like, sounds like & feels like.





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