I read these exact words a moment ago, and immediately felt an explosion of joy, fresh jujubees and heart candy confetti in my mind.

What do you feel or see when you think of a hot tub for your mind? 

I saw myself:

• Feeding my mind gourmet chocolates and then offering it hot jasmine tea in those pretty japanese Sake-style porcelain cups
• Playing softly with my mind’s hair ’til it drifts into peaceful and loving sleep
• Gently massaging my amygdala to the sound of a babbling brook,  accompanied by musical bird calls

Sometimes, I get caught up in trying to “control” my thoughts, which makes positive thinking an arduous task.

But instead, I can make it FUN and nurturing, by asking myself: “how can I give my mind a nice bath right now?”

Yes! I love discovering ways of by-passing self judgement and negative thinking spirals!

When you start nagging yourself for not doing / being enough, Remember:

Imagine deeply satisfying ways of nurturing your mind – very much the same way you like to spoil someone you love – and let the fun, fun, fun begin!

Today’s topic was in fact very a-muse-ing: turning the tables on “what ifs” and pondering the more thrilling and positive potential of life.

Here are a few examples that bloomed in my mind upon reading today’s inspirational message:

What if…I were audacious? What would I do differently right now to get to where I want to be?

What if…I were in excellent health? What would I be eating (or doing) right now?

What if…I decided to believe that I am extremely talented and creative, right now, as I am? What meaningful project would I explore in juicy imperfection?

It gives a whole new angle on the usual, fear-provoking what-ifs we tend to unconsciously marinate on.

It’s kind of like a heroic battle where we get to challenge our inner negator by exploring our can-cans, dismissing our can’t-cants, leading to ”bah, so what, I’ll do it anyway!”

Self-transformation homework:

Take 30 seconds to write down a what-if statement that sparks your enthusiasm. Ponder it. Let it sit in your inner sanctuary, marinate and wisen you up.

Enjoy!

I think I’ve already written about finding daily inspiration in a randomly opened book, and that is what I just did 5 minutes ago. I felt drawn to a book I’ve owned for over a year but never cracked open. One of those would-be nice-to read-one-day books that often become forgotten as new and exciting books are added to my collection (I don’t own many pairs of shoes…oh, but if I had the space to house a library – the joy!).

I was instantly rewarded with these two passages:

“Dance opens the eyes on our skin. When we don’t dance, part of us dies. We lose our instincts, our physical magic. Dance keeps us open to the hidden instruments, the subtle sounds that seek our expression from the other side…When your visionary ability feels hampered, dance yourself back to life…Put on a good song and let it happen.”

What would be that good song for you?

“When you move at a primitive speed, you experience more of life.” This followed a great story about the author deciding to walk 10 blocks to the post office instead of driving one day, and running into an old friend he hadn’t seen in a long time. During their conversation, this friend taught him much needed guitar chords that helped his song writing blossom. In this section, he author writes about how to develop mindfulness and tap into the psyche while driving…to improve not only your psychic potential, but even your driving!

It reminded me of how synchronicity and random conversations with strangers were a regular thing in my life when I lived in the city and walked everywhere. When I slowed down and let myself see the world, and the quirky but beautiful people who spice it up.

In case you’re curious, these passages come from Psychic Living: Tap into Your Psychic Potential, by Andrei Ridgeway.

In a time of my life when I am trying out a very new role (being a mom), and where there is so much pressure to be a perfect parent, I can really relate to Cypher’s desire to surrender and abandon the resistance. Regardless of what your bliss is in life, it seems that because we have access to almost any information and know-how out there (thanks to Internet), the pressure to know or do it all is suffocating.

There is a covert message looming behind every advertisement and harmless conversation with friends & family that assures us this: there’s more, more, more out there we’re missing out on, that we don’t know / do / have enough of (fill in the blank). A message of lack. Of dirty imperfection.

How dare you not:

• Adhere to the latest tech trends: iPad, iPhone, BB, Facebook, twitter, daily blogging, bla bla bla…
• Research every product out there in order to buy “the right one”
• Have: read book X, seen the episode of show A, travelled to place B, a pencil skirt in your closet (ok, I’ve been watching What Not to Wear again), etc. (What do you feel pressured – whether by yourself or your environment – to do or know…the RIGHT way?)
• Use spell check and make typos

…Lately, as I’m on a sort of quest to expand my multiple selves, I often forget that there is no right or wrong way. I get sucked into thinking: oh but what if…I make a mistake? Screw up? There must be a book (in your case, maybe a workshop, website, family member or friend) out there that will give me the key to doing it right! (as I read book after book with little added sense of security or certitude).

Are we snubbing our intuitive wisdom in favour of somebody else’s opinion and individual experience?

I say PUT DOWN THAT BOOK! CLOSE that browser window! SSSSHHHH…listen. What is your body telling you? What is your spirit whispering or shouting to you? What initial feeling do you get about a choice you’re making? Even Justin Bieber knows to eenie, meenie, miney, mo.

The answer is withIN, not withOUT.  But of course, you knew that.

So I invite you to remember.

I feel a little rusty, but felt compelled to share one of my monkey mind’s gazillion book worthy thoughts. Here goes.

As my little sweetpea blessed me with a few moments of down time today (yes, his naps are that short!), I thought to myself: “Uhm, what do I do with myself now?!” Ah, the pressure to perform and live to the last drop, even in these scarce, precious moments! Eesh.

Fortunately, I get lots of opportunities like these to practice Kaizen-Muse on myself these days. So, I went on to ask myself:

What is a very small thing I can do in very little time to experience meaning and well being, r i g h t  n o w? No projects. No medium or long term commitments. No procrastination.

And since I have a very real and personal understanding of time as an obstacle to living juicy, I thought I’d share with you some of the ideas that came to mind:

• Pick any book from your collection, open it on a random page, put your finger down anywhere on it and read. What does it inspire? It doesn’t really matter. The point is you experienced a nourishing moment. Moments make a lifetime!
• Take at least 3 consecutive deeeeeeeeeep breaths (where you exhale as loud as you can / want to). Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh. Let it go. We all need to. Repeat.
• Do a little dance. If you’re into creative expression, what simple movement – or series of – reflects where you’re at right now, this instant? Don’t think about it. Just let your body do the talking / thinking.
• Have a Small Moments of Goodness jar ready where you can randomly pick ideas for these kinds of small actions whenever you have a few seconds of free time, but no idea what to do with yourself. This is one of my favourites.

Got any other ideas you’d like to share with us?

The purpose of this fun workshop is simple: JOYFUL “Because-I-Feel-Like-It” CREATION. The intention: TO BE.

With so much daily pressure to perform, and to measure up to impossible or boring standards, I was in the mood to create an opportunity for us to lighten up, reconnect with our essence, and to have fun with it.

Here is the workshop description:

It’s simple. This workshop is about creative play, fun and connecting with Who You Really Are.

It’s about being. Leave your monkey mind aside and delve into free, easy creation – creation that makes you feel WHOLE and reminds you how alive you are.

Creation of what? It doesn’t matter. There is no goal, other than to spend two hours of blissful expression.

We will be using movement, laughter, writing, the voice, doodling…and whatever the moment inspires.

To register:

Harmoni Holistic Health and Transformational Center

102 du Barry (Corner of St-Charles North)

Kirkland, Qubec

514-695-9025

For more info and to reach me:

514-993-1674

Come out and play – What better way to beat the pre-Monday blues?!

Ok, now moving on to the topic of letting go.

I was just watching the Create Your Reality video on Youtube, and was inspired by the beginning lines about letting go…of limiting thoughts, patterns and ego.

I’ve been offering workshops about how to overcome our own barriers and resistance to change and fear, and letting go is part of the “recipe” that most often gets left out, perhaps because of its vague and intangible nature.

I mean, what does it look like to let go? What does it feel like? What does it sound like?

Here are a few ways I surrender when I am aware of a limiting belief entering my mind, or when I’m obsessing to my detriment:

(My favourite are the first and last ones…oh, but they’re all juicy!)

• I use an anchor like: “Whatever happens, I CAN HANDLE IT!” or “So What, I’ll do it anyway”…or “Good enough!“
• I remind myself that this limiting thought doesn’t belong to me, and it will pass (Rather than admonish myself for having the limiting thought in the first place, I use it as an opportunity to identify my fear, and to practice compassion)
• I pretend that I am a four year old again, and imagine what I would say to quell that fours year old’s fear. Alternately, I do the same thing, imagining what I would say to comfort a friend (we’re rarely as mean and degrading to our friends as we can sometimes be to ourselves)
• I remember that shitting on myself STOPS me from connecting with who I Really Am and from living my passion
• I remember to laugh at my drama (“Oh, excellent play dahling! You’re a natural actress!”). Sometimes, I even picture my ancestors watching me with barely suppressed laughter and warmth in their eyes…and then I remember: Lighten Up!

What’s your version of letting go?

Are you aware of what you tend to hold on to rigidly?

Click on the video above or here to see this 2-minute clip about how turning a task into a game or something fun incites change.

Drama.

We’re surrounded by it. The daily news, Hollywood, cheesy and far-from-reality-shows…Oh, and that doesn’t even include family drama, which tends to account for the bigger chunk of our drama pie.

It’s no surprise, consequently, that when I attempt to create change in my life (food choices, starting an exercise routine, re-organising my space, etc.), I often get off to a strong procrastinating start, thinking “I just don’t have the time, money, energy (fill in the drama-related blank) to deal with the struggle of changing”.

It implies that change is boring, tedious…Not fun.

So, why can’t change be fun? Wouldn’t that ensure a stronger commitment on our part? Fun and enjoyment are, in fact, what change psychologists coin with successful change.

Try asking yourself this question:

How can I turn (fill-in-the-blank goal), which I’ve been resisting, into something fun and playful?

Rewards can make a task fun.

Can you turn a research project into a game show?

Is it enticing to intersperse a de-cluttering session with 30-second “good riddance” dances?

What are some of your ideas (Don’t be shy to to comment below)?

How can you apply this to a project or task you’re working on now?

For cases of:
Perfectionitis
Overwhelm syndrome
Comparing-yourself-to-others virus
Lack of clarity infliction
Boredom  bug
Pro…cras…ti…nation

DIRECTIONS
Use as needed

• Play preferred music real loud and shake it
• Read an old journal entry, if you journal. Otherwise, let yourslf be inspired by someone else’s
• Do a cartwheel
• Scribble really hard on a thin sheet of paper
• Get on an unknown bus or subway line, and toy with not having a pre-set destination
• Clean! Amazing mind-decluttering potion
• Put on some music that moves you and just listen
• Call someone. Even if you choose not to talk about what’s getting you stuck, reaching out and connecting with life is in itself nourishing
• Go on a spontaneous Artist Date.

Funky Goddess Journey Awaits

I am, as you likely are, an inspiration junkie. I LOVE exploring new personal development tools, ideas and courses.

Not so long ago, I came across Goddess Leonie‘s website, and immediately felt blessed to discover this spunky, real and adorable muse.

I heart Goddess Leonie

Since I always prefer to get first-hand feedback and recommendations from respected friends before signing up for courses, I like to offer the same useful recommendations to others.

So…(drum roll), I am excited to present you to Goddess Leonie’s new Goddess School.

The Goddess School is an online sacred space with e-courses to help you discover the creative, wise, joyful Goddess in you! The next term begins September 28, and there are two e-courses you can enrol in to be a part of this amazing experience. There is the Creative Goddess e-course to help you explore creativity as a joyful, spiritual practice, and the Making Space for your Goddess to Shine e-course which helps you to divinely declutter and magically space clear your home.

These courses come with lots of goodies: downloadable meditations, videos, guidance and projects. You also get access to a private online message board to share your journey with other Goddesses on the journey (if you’re like me and grow exponentially through group journeys, this is a big plus).

I definitely recommend any of Goddess Leonie’s transformative courses and the cool freebies on her website.

Cheers to your creative living!