Wishing you all the best for a happy, healthy, fortunate new year. See you in 2015!
Brightest Blessings,
Heather
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Truth Garden - Thought For The Day #33
Normal is an illusion. It's all about perspective!
Brightest Blessings,
Heather
Brightest Blessings,
Heather
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Truth Garden - Thought For The Day #32
Bet you can guess what I'm doing this weekend!
Brightest Blessings,
Heather
Brightest Blessings,
Heather
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Truth Garden - Thought For The Day #26
In honor of Back-to-School Season!
Brightest Blessings,
Heather
Brightest Blessings,
Heather
Monday, September 1, 2014
Ready, Set, Meditate!
It's September 1st and the meditation challenge begins today!
While it may be called a challenge, it's important to remember this is not a competition. Meditation is different for everyone and it's okay for someone's idea of meditation to vary from others. Let's be kind and open-minded during this exercise.
You can practice meditation at any time of day, but my schedule is crazy and early mornings work best for me. My alarm went off at 6am . . . just as a thunderstorm rolled through my neighborhood. The rain pounded overhead and lightning flashed at random intervals. To some, this could be very relaxing. To others, it could be distracting. Apparently I fall in the latter category. It took a moment to settle into the rhythm of it, after realizing that by focusing on the rain, I could drown out the hectic thoughts (groceries, school starting for the kiddo, laundry, work deadlines, etc.) threatening to invade my mind and find a sense of peace.
I got my first 5 minutes down - how about you?
Brightest Blessings,
Heather
While it may be called a challenge, it's important to remember this is not a competition. Meditation is different for everyone and it's okay for someone's idea of meditation to vary from others. Let's be kind and open-minded during this exercise.
You can practice meditation at any time of day, but my schedule is crazy and early mornings work best for me. My alarm went off at 6am . . . just as a thunderstorm rolled through my neighborhood. The rain pounded overhead and lightning flashed at random intervals. To some, this could be very relaxing. To others, it could be distracting. Apparently I fall in the latter category. It took a moment to settle into the rhythm of it, after realizing that by focusing on the rain, I could drown out the hectic thoughts (groceries, school starting for the kiddo, laundry, work deadlines, etc.) threatening to invade my mind and find a sense of peace.
Brightest Blessings,
Heather
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Monday, August 25, 2014
A Meditation Challenge
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Where I live, fitness challenges are very popular. People love the 30-day squat/6-weeks no sugar/100 days of burpee challenges which push and motivate them to be fitter, healthier, and stronger. It's great for the physical body.
But what about the mental, emotional, and spiritual body?
I'm proposing a challenge to address the often neglected inner aspects of ourselves - a meditation challenge!
What do you think of when you hear the word "meditate?" Perhaps monks draped in cloths, spending their lives in silence? Or maybe new age style "hippies", chanting and swaying before hugging the nearest tree? In some ways you would be right. These are all some form of meditation. But it can be much less theatrical and more practical than you might realize.
The dictionary defines meditation as this: to spend time in quiet thought for religious purposes or relaxation. Simply, meditation is to come to a quiet place in your mind, where all is calm amidst the external chaos of everyday life.
It sounds easy but I know for many of us, it's not. Our minds tend to race with thoughts pertaining to careers, families, to-do lists, worries and fears. It can difficult to silence all that inner noise! This is where daily meditation practice can help. Over time, it gets easier, and can center your focus and set your intention for the day. It can ease stress and anxieties and bring clarity of mind and heart. It can help you tune in to your truest self so you are better able to express yourself to others, from a place of peace and confidence. You can certainly make it religious if you want, by incorporating aspects of your personal faith, but by and large it is a practice that anyone from every walk of life can do.
Let's do this together! I challenge us to 30 days of meditation, beginning September 1st. Take as little as 5 minutes a day to quiet your mind and relax your body. It could be right when you wake up, during your lunch break, a stolen moment in the afternoon between chores and errands, or in the evening before falling asleep. Experiment and discover what works best for you! Meditation is a very individual practice. There is no right or wrong way to do it. However, here are some tips to help you get started (feel free to adapt to your preferences):
- Get comfy! You don't have to twist yourself into a pretzel to do this. Sitting comfortably, laying in bed, kneeling on a cushion . . . do what feels right for you.
- Breathe. Deeply and slowly, in for the count of 4, hold for the count of 4, out for 6. Sometimes focusing on breathing helps to center the mind and reduce distracting thoughts. Speaking of distracting thoughts . . .
- Acknowledge Distracting Thoughts and let them go. Tell yourself you'll check your emails and texts when the 5 minutes are up. Allow yourself to put it off for the moment. The world will not come crashing down, promise. :-)
- Use a Candle. Especially one with aromas known to calm the nervous system, like lavender. Some people feel calmer watching a flickering flame.
- Be Grateful. When you're finished, think of one thing you are grateful for and say it out loud.
Brightest Blessings,
Heather
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Truth Garden - Thought For The Day #22
Sometimes three-fold. Just sayin'.
Brightest Blessings,
Heather
Brightest Blessings,
Heather
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Truth Garden - Thought For The Day #16
I do this more often than you think. ;-)
Brightest Blessings,
Heather
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Truth Garden - Thought For The Day #14
Sometimes I need to be reminded of this.
Brightest Blessings,
Heather
Brightest Blessings,
Heather
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Truth Garden - Thought For The Day #11
A follow-up to last week's Thought. ;-)
Brightest Blessings,
Heather
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Truth Garden - Thought For The Day #5
Because you never know what good may come of it!
Brightest Blessings,
Heather
Brightest Blessings,
Heather
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Spring Equinox 2014
Take a deep breath. Smell that? There's a certain sweetness on the breeze that can only mean one thing.
It's finally spring!
Today marks the Spring Equinox of 2014. Like the Autumn Equinox, day and night are equal in length, light and dark are perfectly balanced, but sunlight is poised for a longer turn. The Spring Equinox has been called Ostara and is a special time relating to dawn, youth, and fertility. The month of March has many holidays celebrating the great mother goddesses - from Aphrodite to Isis to the Virgin Mary. Mothers represent new life which we now see more frequently in the green leaves unfurling from once-barren tree limbs, sprouting bulbs, and the birth of young animals. It is also the season of planting - remember, life will continue long after spring!
There are many ways to celebrate this magical time. Here are some of my favorite traditions:
- Go for a walk! Even if your neighborhood is currently covered in snow (like mine) there is nothing more invigorating than hunting for signs of spring. Bright, cheery daffodils are peeking up from the ground, and the mating calls of robins are nature's music. See what you can find and know that more is on the way.
- Egg Decorating - Eggs are symbolic of new life, and while many people wait for Easter to decorate them, I much prefer to do it now. Pretty designs in spring-like colors will lift anyone's spirits after a long, cold winter!
- Divination - But you knew I would say that. ;-)
- Planting Seeds - Now is the time for planting what you would like to harvest in the fall. This could be literal or metaphorical. Just as we plant flower and vegetable seeds in our gardens, so can we plant intention for our lives. For example, you may decide that now is the time to learn and practice patience, or take an educational course to gain knowledge, or start journaling for wisdom. Take a moment to think about what could make your life better!
- Feast - Traditional Ostara foods include milk and cheese, wheat breads, and cross buns (representing the equal balance of night and day).
Allow yourself to be inspired. Maybe you'll come up with a tradition of your own!
Brightest Blessings,
Heather
photo credit: SirPecanGum via photopin cc
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Truth Garden - Thought For The Day
Saw this floating around the internet and felt inspired to share. I'm not sure where it came from, so if it is yours, please let me know so you can take credit for this beautiful truth!
Brightest Blessings,
Heather
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