Love

Tis' the Season for all good things!  “That’s right”, this time of year tends to bring more warmth, joy, laughter, family activities, friends getting together and the feeling of love.

Love of now, love of yesteryear- the love of rituals, love of family, love of shopping, love of good food, love of gifts- giving and receiving. Just a plain ole good time of year that warms up the body and soul. 

Though all things might not be exactly as we wish, or the struggles seem to be so overwhelming. There is always a spark and glimmer of love within each of us. That spark is enough to make all things possible!

This week is the time for me to bring out the annual Christmas/Holiday Sweaters; you know the sweaters that you wouldn’t wear any other time, but this time of year feels so fun and right! Recently I heard that these sweaters are really not acceptable anymore. What? I really missed that news and fashion flash.

Rifling through the unpacked winter clothes, found my collection of sweaters! Yeah! Another year of sparkles and shimmering images jumping off my body! Bet the crowd can’t wait to see these again, really missing them I am sure!  OK, so which one to wear for the kick off evening? One by one I went through them and not one specific sweater felt right.  So I decided to just pick one when the “perfect” sweater appeared!   Laughing I picked it up and out loud said “Perfect” I love it…. So appropriate!!

See the sweater was worn by my mom for several years during the holidays! My mom loved Christmas, the tree, and family together and viewing the neighborhood house lights.

But more importantly my mom was pure love. Love for herself and love for everyone she would meet during the day all year long!

My mom’s message was always loud and clear throughout my life- Just believe- believe in you- believe all things work out- believe in love! The magic of this time of year is Love- for which all things can happen and are possible if we only “just believe”. 

So today I am wearing this very warm sweater by Brindar design, the image is above and says it all.

Mom, you are always right- I believed and all things are working out with love!

May the child inside all of us be allowed to shine, to know that all things are possible if we just believe!

Time for now to wish you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays!

Remember ~~ Love who you are, as you are enough and Love Life!

P,S, Thanks Mom- "Merry Christmas"

Reflection and Gratitude

For the past few weeks I have been enjoying the transition of Summer to Fall.  Hope each of you have been enjoying as well!

My experience has been totally enhanced for the past few weeks with warm temperatures and beautiful days.  Though I enjoy the experience of four seasons, my preference is definitely warmer temperatures.

Suddenly, in a course of twenty four hours, woke up to a high temperature for the day in the 50’s! Now that isn’t freezing by any definition but a twenty degree temperature swing for me is significant. Sweaters, here I come!!

As I was preparing for my day, the sudden temperature shift triggered an opportunity to reflect on this transition. I began thinking about Spring/Summer, all the special events and places visited, friends, the fun stuff everyone does in the summer. The more I reflected the more apparent it became that reflection and Gratitude went hand in hand for me. Does it for you?

Time for me now to share that taking time to reflect on a season, a day, a year or perhaps a life will provide an opportunity to realize what an amazing life we each live. Yes, there are challenges, struggles or perhaps uncertainty, but that is also called “living life:

Reflection provides an opportunity to realize all things do pass, the sun comes up in the morning and knowledge or experiences have been gained. For that, comes gratitude for the experience, the interaction, and the lessons and importantly for the people in our life!  Thank you!

Reflection and Giving of Gratitude

      What special adventures so far this year? Did you have fun? If so, why?

      People in our lives, any significant interaction, did they help you, did you help them?

      Vacation? Where? What did you do? Who shared the experience with you?

      Any major decisions? If so, how did it turn out? Is it what you expected?

      Family Member or Friend there for you? Support system?

      Realized a dream, achieved a goal? How did it feel?

      Major life event? Married, Divorced, birth of a child? Support system?

      Good Health?

Take a few moments to reflect, acknowledge and give gratitude for there lays the calmness for the day. cl

“To me, every hour of the day and night is an unspeakably perfect miracle.”
            - Walt Whitman

Time For Me Now Inspiration - Sanctuary

Where do you go when your heart, soul and mind need a break?

Do you have a place of refugee?

Each of us needs a special place to recharge and replenish our energy! If you have such a special place where you can be still, be silent and recharge, both mentally and physically, that is outstanding.

Perhaps you have heard of a Sanctuary but not quite sure what that means or how to go about creating such a place. A Sanctuary is a place that is special just to and for you.

A place or area where a "Time for Me Now" is set aside to remove yourself from every day stress and activities.

For most, if not all of us, our lives are hectic and can be very stressful. Decisions to be made, appointments to be kept, families to be taken care of...... OK,  you get the pictures.

A Sanctuary is a place just for you to relax. This could be an area in the living room, a place in the bedroom, an outside courtyard with flowers perhaps even a fountain. The space doesn't have to be large, it just needs to be your space. Create your space with photos of loved ones, books, candles, anything that brings you comfort and supports your goal of replenishing your energy and spirit!  The space can be simple or as elaborate as you want to make "your" space. The key is to have it be an area that serves your purpose- relax, unwind and replenish!

For me, my sanctuary is two-fold. When the grind of the day or weeks gets to me, I choose one of two options: Nature/Outside or my created space in my bedroom. My favorite place is the photo above, it is a beautiful lake close where I can spend hours just being by the water or sitting looking at the water, reflecting, breathing or mediating. This lake is close but not always convenient so then I walk around my area. There is a trail that winds for 3.5 miles that I walk.There are benches around the trail, so I sit and look at the mountains. I breath, reflect and in the process I get exercise, which always helps to refresh and replenish!  Nature is a place for healing, for reminding us of the bigger picture! Water and water flow is important to me as I am a Cancer and I thrive on the sound of water either flowing from a fountain or lapping on the shore!

Sometimes nature is not an option so I then retreat to my space in my bedroom. I have a small corner of my room with a chair, a table that has candles that I light and books that are inspirational. There is a pillow and a warm blanket. Photos of my family and my beloved companion, Mitch, he's a 13year old Pappillon joins me..... 

 Mitch is lays next to me! He considers this his special space as well. This is where I meditate, breath in new air/energy and exhale all the stress and energy that no longer serves my purpose.

Reading and writing in my journal is also activities that I do in "my Sanctuary".

Mitch snoozes, but that is OK, this is his space and he feels very comfortable hanging out in this area.

Each of us deserves to have a "me" space that reflects what makes us most relaxed. Taking the time in our Sanctuary refreshes, revitalizes and nourishes us as individuals. The Sanctuary enables us to gain new found energy and inspiration! The Sanctuary enables us to quiet our mind to perhaps hear the messages that our heart, soul or body are trying to get us to pay attention to.

Affirmation: " I am deserving of a special place and time for me, I am worthy and loved"

Time For Me Now Inspiration- Full Moon Flow

Full Moon ~ All the Possibilities!

Friday was the second Full Moon for 2011, with this new cycle a great time to Celebrate!.

The Full Moon is a time for excitement perhaps even celebration!.... Each lunar cycle is a time for renewal. Each cycle of the moon has four smaller cycles lasting approximately seven days. 

Example: Full Moon Celebration is exciting for me, as I look forward to all the possibilities from the intentions and seeds planted; more importantly I use this time to give gratitude and appreciation for people in my life and for all the blessings!

The New Moon, Waxing Moon, Full Moon and Waning Moon.

Timing of these cycles? Though best scientific practices can approximate the timing of the cycles, the cycles tend to  "Flow" from one cycle to another.

Waning Moon is a great time to take a deep breath, breath in life and exhale all that is no longer working for you. Great time to clear out clutter of your life; a time for assessing the past several weeks/months and deciding what is working for you what isn't.

Mediate on your hearts desire, perhaps changes in your life/activities or specific seeds/thoughts that were planted for future growth and development.

  Just as a gardener plants seeds for Spring/Summer blooming, the New Moon is a great time to plant seeds for which to expand our lives!  The Full Moon is a time of celebration- of the seeds planted and now blooming full of energy and possibilities.

Seeds planted as we flow into the next moon cycle of Waxing Moon, this is where you take your intention (planted seed) and begin to bring to life what you most desire and what is best for you!

The Full Moon is an  excellent time to incorporate techniques for your Dreams! During this time my students/clients experience more recollection of dreams. So if you are one that believes you do not remember your dreams this is an excellent time to recall. Suggestion: Keep a notebook and pen on your nightstand!

Upcoming Moon Schedule:

February 19: Waning Moon begins

March 4: New Moon     March 12: Waxing Moon     March 19: Full Moon       March 26: Waning Moon

" I anxiously anticipate recalling my dreams for what messages lie within me"..... CL