KINDNESS IS A GIFT EVERYONE CAN AFFORD TO GIVE

I want to tell you about something I've been doing lately that has been feeling sooo good.  I've been doing random acts of kindness to strangers, friends, family, acquaintances...anyone I feel inspired to do.  And with no strings attached.  That's important!  I don't' expect anything in return.  Not even a thank you.  Now that's doesn't mean I don't get them, but I'm doing this without any expectation.  It's been so much fun and interesting to see how this energy comes back to me too.  I'm not even kidding about this.  Interesting events and things have been happening to me.  Like over the top things.  I attribute them to this beautiful energy that is around me now.  They say that whatever you want more of,  just do it and it will come back..  Well sure enough, I've had more kindness come back to me than ever before.  My daughter does them a lot with me.  She gets such a kick out of it too.  It's fun thinking of things to do and the people to do them on.  The reactions are great, but sometimes we do them anonymously.  Most of the time people are surprised and full of smiles.  It's just so nice to see.  And some people told me they now feel inspired to do the same.  How cool is that?  So now more kindness is being done.  This is the kind of world I want to live in.  There is actually a little science behind this.  I am going to include this video below so you can see what I mean.  Check it out.  It's called The Science of Kindness and only 2 minutes long.  Don't underestimate how this could change someone's world including yours!

Grace’s Nighttime Meditation

My amazing 7 year old daughter, Grace, was very inspired to create this meditation after reading I Am Peace by Susan Verde. She guided me into a very beautiful peaceful sleep. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!

5 Rituals That Predict Success

Wow...this is gold! Imagine where you would be if you started this years ago. Lear more in Robin Sharma's FREE masterclass 👉https://go.mindvalley.com/hero

Parenting Advice for Every Parent

Parenting advice is never easy to give but let's help our kids and the entire next generation learn how to become better parents. If this video helps one child grow up in a healthier way I've succeeded.

WATCH THIS AND GET READY TO PURGE YOUR ENTIRE HOUSE!

Tidy guru Marie Kondo comes to the rescue by helping people tackle the clutter that's holding them back. It all comes down to one question: does it spark joy? Tidying Up with Marie Kondo launches globally on Netflix January 1st, 2019.

My daughter and I watched this and immediately were inspired to KonMarie our house. We’ve started the process. I like her methods because they work! I especially love how she honors each house and does an introduction ritual. I was so touched when I saw her do this; so much so, that my daughter and I also took a moment to do it and thank our house.

Spark Joy

Here is Grace feeling the joy that her favorite outfits sparks in her!

Join me and attend Deepak's Free 4 Week Workshop!

Have you noticed how in today’s society we seem to just be surviving and thriving? Our schedules are overloaded, we’re relying on quick-fix solutions of fast-food, we aren’t getting enough time to nurture our mind and bodies.

That’s why Deepak is going to be sharing with you his free brand-new online workshop "Healing the Whole Self." This free online workshop will help you learn how to heal your entire mind, body, spirit, and emotions so that you can return to your natural state of well-being and happiness. 

Held over 4 weeks, each week will focus on an aspect of the “whole-self approach”: 

• Week 1 - Body

• Week 2 - Mind

• Week 3 - Emotions

• Week 4 - Spirit

You will have access to weekly videos, guided meditations, audio webinars, helpful downloads, a private Facebook group, and more! Starts on January 14th - for free.

I Have A Bad Child By Teal Swan

This is soooo good…

Parenting advice and tips for a difficult, bad and out of control child, what do I do? Many parents have children that are adhd, have behavioral issues such as not listening or are out of control. A life hack for this is to know that however the child is making you feel is often how they feel.

"Alexa, Open Oprah Magazine"

One of my favorite rituals in my morning practice is asking Alexa to open Oprah Magazine. The Oprah Magazine skill is Oprah’s reading of her bestselling book “What I Know for Sure”, a collection of intimate pieces from her monthly magazine column. They are about 2 to 3 minutes long. They are full of wisdom and soooo good. I always feel so inspired and find myself nodding my head often as I listen. Oprah is one smart cookie! So make sure to check in every day. Just say, “Alexa, Ask Oprah Magazine for my O to Go”—you won’t regret it. Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Let this day gently remind us all to be fully present in the moment; remind us to walk lightly on this earth and to consider our purpose for being here; remind us to be positive in body, speech & mind, remind us to be mindful of negative acts, and to transform them with insight, wisdom, & loving-kindness, and remind us we have so much to be grateful for. Happy Thanksgiving!

One of my favorite subscriptions that keep me inspired are Monday Mantras by Anne Ribley. She aims to inspire transformation for those seeking to live an empowered life. I love them. You can subscribe to get them automatically or just go to her website and click on them. She gives a quick 5 minute audio for each one. It's a great way to start the week!

Hitting My Pause Button

There are times when I can do what feels like a million tasks in one day and feel energized the entire time.  Then there are times when I feel like I am just getting by and making it day by day, meeting the minimums of life. Sometimes I have low energy and I feel like I have too many tasks in front of me. It’s in those moments that I just have to take it step by step and face the one task in front of me and that might be unpack the car or make dinner for my daughter. Or live with a messy house for one more day or eating cereal for dinner when it’s just me.  Knowing that everything will be attended to in just the right time because right now I just have to honor my energy level and what I can do right now. I don’t have to be great; I don’t have to be perfect. I just have to face my current reality and it’s all ok.  I have to remind myself of this sometimes and that I’m doing just alright by myself as a single mom. Yeah sometimes it’s hard when it’s just me. But what needs to get done will get done. It’s important for me to show my daughter that as with everything in life there is a balance. I can relax when I need to and I can get things done when I need to. I don’t want her to see me just doing and doing all the time but also just being. Deepak says that energy is neutral and that your state of being will determine your energy level. I can totally see that.  I’ve always believed in listening to your body and answering what it needs at that moment. So right now I’m beat. I’m super tired and feel like I could sleep for days. So today I’m going to get the minimum done, get some rest and hit my internal reset button. Tomorrow is another day and what will be will be.  I’m grateful for that!

FREE DEEPAK MEDITATION PROGRAM STARTING OCTOBER 29!

AWESOME Energy Medicine Class!!

THE WHOLE BRAIN

I was listening to this pioneering, practical book for parents.  Thank you Susie for recommending this to me!!!  Neuroscientist Daniel J. Siegel and parenting expert Tina Payne Bryson explain the new science of how a child's brain is wired and how it matures.  But here’s the thing, I feel like it helped me understand my own brain, then and now.  I personally would recommend this book to all human beings!  Not just parents.  It can change your life.  The reason I say this is when you know why you do what you do, you can then begin to change things that you don’t want to do anymore. 

Now the reason I started listening to this book was because I felt like I needed to understand where my daughter is here and now so I can meet her.  I see frustrated parents time over time because they are expecting their children to act differently than where they really are.  Even my own sisters expect my daughter who is 6 to act as if she is 10.  I think it’s just human nature to not meet people where they are from lack of information and awareness. 

This book offers twelve revolutionary strategies to nurture your child’s developing mind. It is an excellent resource to help parents understand how a child’s brain develops and functions, and how they can help their child learn how to handle and respond to different experiences and challenges.

The message of this book is that families — both children and parents alike — aren’t stuck in their current circumstances.  Parents have the ability to change these circumstances by changing the way they respond and relate, and as they do this they can literally help to change their child’s brain (and their own) in the process.

The link below will take you to the free audio book.  Enjoy!

THE ROCKS MATTER THE MOST

Are your choices aligned with your values?

GET REAL: Answers to questions you've always wanted to ask Dr Shefali

Dr. Shefali is a NYT bestselling author of The Conscious Parent and The Awakened Family. She is also a clinical psychologist, an international speaker and a wisdom teacher, integrating Eastern philosophy with Western psychology. Learn more about her at: www.drshefali.com

A SPA TO RENEW YOUR SOUL

One of the lessons I had to learn in this lifetime was self-love.  I lacked it!  And what a journey it has been to learn it!  Part of self-love is giving time to yourself and to do things you love.  To nurture yourself.  To give yourself down time.  To put yourself first.  To understand that you are worthy of good things.  I have discovered something that screams self-love and that is Korean Bath Houses.  Well let me tell you, I am so utterly grateful for them.  I now understand why bath houses are so popular in some cultures.  Because they truly renew mind, body and spirit.  They teach you how to relax.  That is something that our culture doesn’t do very well if you ask me. 

I recently attended a new one that I was so impressed with that I had to blog about it.  It’s Island Spa and Sauna in Edison, NJ.  I was there with my friend for 9 hours in one day!  You are probably wondering how one person can be there for so long.  There is so much to explore!  Here’s why.  It’s a beautiful 30,000 square foot spa that has 5 coed dry saunas that look like beautiful igloos made with earthly materials (crystal, charcoal, salt, forest, clay), steam rooms, 4 soaking tubs, an ice room, a sleeping/meditation room, free yoga on Sundays, lounge area with free wifi, social pods, a juice bar, and a café that was absolutely delicious.  I had the vegetable ramen soup and vegetable fried dumplings and all of it was delicious.  I had a green juice in the morning and then a green smoothie later in the day…delicious of course.  The bath houses are separated by gender.  You are given a uniform to wear in the common areas.  You are naked in the bath tub areas.  I was not used being naked in front of so many other women since I never grew up with the bathhouse concept.  So I was a little hesitant at first, but now I realize that it’s not a big deal.  It’s actually quite freeing.  It teaches you that there is no shame in our bodies and that they deserve respect and honor.  So for me it’s not even a thought now.   

Ok now it’s time to talk about my service that I had done.  I did a body scrub; the signature body glow to be exact.  But they are not like any body scrub.  Body scrubs are very common in Korean bathhouses using a mitt with milk and water to moisturize the skin while promoting circulation.  I literally felt like I as shedding the old Johanna.  Which feels incredible on a spiritual and physical level.  You are scrubbed like never before.  They don’t miss one inch of you.  They also gave me a facial, washed my hair and then an aromatherapy massage.  It was incredible.  When I got off the table even my posture was better!

What else should you know?  I brought a book to read and a journal for my downtime.  I also took time to meditate while having a pomegranate hydrating sheet mask on.  There are tons of loungers, couches and little quiet areas.  My friend even took a nap in the sleeping room!  The daily admission is reasonable for all that you have access to.  For me it is a spiritual experience.  I come out feeling like a new being on all levels.  It’s truly a stress free haven for the mind, body and soul.  See you there!

My Morning Practice

One of the things I give to myself is my morning practice.  It’s something that I wish I started earlier in life.  Because it puts me in such a good place and my day then just flows.  So what is a morning practice?  It’s an intentional spiritual way to start your day so that you feel more focused, peaceful and purposeful.  Now before I get into it, I want to say that a morning practice is a very personal thing and one that should resonate with only you and there are no rules.  But here’s what I do:

1. While still in bed I say thank you.  Gratitude for another day on this earth.

2. Then I get up and go into my forest room and ring a beautiful chime.  I call this room the forest room because it is an entire wall photograph of a magical forest (got it on amazon for $99!).  And it really does feel magical. So why do I ring a chime? Bells have been long used for space clearing for they produce a pure cleansing sound that can clear low vibrational energy or some may say negative energy.  There is now science behind this.  A beautiful way to clear your space of energy is by using sound. Chimes, gongs, bells, and singing bowls are some of the tools that may be used to create a resonant, powerful tone that helps to push the energy out and open your space.  Using the beautiful resonating note of a chime is like pushing the energy out with a powerful sound wave.  It is not aggressive, but there is a definite push when a chime is struck– the energy gets shaken up. While it can be a more playful way to cleanse your space, the gorgeous resonance of these instruments is incredibly calming and helps to ground a restless mind in the present moment.  My favorite is Treeworks Chimes from Amazon for $12!  It has a beautiful sound.  And it is actually one of my favorite gifts to give to people; especially to teachers.

3. Light a candle while setting an intention 

4. Burn either sage or Palo Santo depending on my mood while saying a cleansing prayer

5. Then I meditate in either my daughter’s super comfy teepee tent or on my Asian moon gazing chair.  I love using Insight Timer for the timer option in this app.  It uses bells to start and finish a meditation.  I love that!  For more tips on meditation read my article on meditation. 

6. Read or listen to a message. I believe we get messages all the time from the universe/higher self to help guide us in the right direction.  So I randomly select a message/affirmation/story from a book or deck of cards.  Some of my favorites include Messages for the Soul by Tanaaz Chubb, The Little Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo or Well-Being Cards by Esther and Jerry Hicks…just to name a few. I even get Notes from the Universe by Mike Dooley on an app on my iPhone.  And did you know you can ask Alexa for an affirmation everyday? My daughter loves doing that.

7. And then while I shower I usually listen to a positive inspiring speaker.  Louis Hay has a great morning meditation.  Or sometimes I listen to Esther Hicks, Gala Darling or Power Thoughts Meditation Club (Their I Am affirmations rock!) among many others. 

8. Then with delicious coffee in my near future, I hug and kiss my beautiful daughter, hug and kiss my handsome dog and start my beautiful wonderful day!

Now does this happen every single day?  For the most part yes, but sometimes if it doesn’t I will do parts of it.  As a single mom, one thing that helps me stay on track with this is to just get up earlier than my daughter.  I will say that for me I just crave it so it’s hard to not do it.  But with anything in life if your plans don’t go the way you want them the best thing to do it is just go with the flow.  As Abraham Hicks says just swim downstream and don’t beat yourself up about it.  But you may start to find that it becomes as natural as brushing your teeth every day. 

Intuition

I want to talk about intuition because it’s such an important gift in one’s life.  Steve Jobs called it, “more powerful than intellect.”  I 100% agree with him!  We all have it, but some of us have forgotten how to use it.  I was that person.  I am going to share with you how I got reacquainted with it.  We all have an internal guidance system.  It’s like our very own GPS.  Some people call it your gut.  I call it my inner being.  This inner being is always communicating with us through our inner voice…our intuition.  The great thing about that is our inner being has a broader perspective than us.  They know things seen and unseen.  So what may not make sense to us in this physical plane at this moment in time will make sense in the broader scheme of things.  It knows what’s best for us.  It has our best interest at heart.  So it will try and guide us gently all the time to something better or something more satisfying.  So how did I lose my relationship with my intuition?  By quieting it down at a very early age.  By ignoring it.  By dismissing it.  By doubting myself.  By trying to talk myself out of things.  By letting outside noise in.  I let this happen for many many years.  I basically felt like I lost it and trusted others to make decisions for me.  I truly was not confident in any of my own decisions.  Even the simplest decision was hard for me.  I call this split energy.  It’s when you are basically cutting off a part of yourself; which in essence I was.  Well I knew I had to get my power back and that’s when I realized I needed to start listening to my intuition again.  But the great news is that it’s never really gone.  It’s always there.    A trusted spiritual advisor gave me some advice on how to get back on track.  She said listen to any little hunch and honor it.  For example if you are driving and you get the hunch to turn left…turn left.  If you are thinking of a friend and feel the urge to call them…call them.  Or if I was running downstairs and got the idea that I forgot an item upstairs…turn around and get it.  Any little idea or hunch just follow through.  So needless to say I started doing this.  Every little hunch, idea or inspiration was honored.  I started really paying attention and listening.  Well guess what happens when you start doing this.  Your intuition gets stronger and stronger.  I was amazed. It kind of reminds me of meditation.  The more I did it the better I got at it.  It’s just like anything in life…the more you practice the better you get.  I also noticed the more I got quiet the more I could hear my intuition.  The noise gets in the way.  So I encourage all of you to nurture this gift so you can thrive in this life.