meditation

5 Ways to Improve Your Intuition

2017-07-25 By Monica 8 Comments

Have you ever met someone and knew right away that they were bad news? Or just had a strong feeling that you shouldn’t do something?

Those feelings come from your intuition. Intuition is the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning. It’s an instinctive feeling. At the time, you just have a feeling and may not be sure why you have it or where it’s coming from. Sometimes it’s not logical and may go against what our logical mind thinks or wants to do. These thoughts or feelings in our body (especially in our gut) are the intuition’s way of communicating with us. [Read more…] about 5 Ways to Improve Your Intuition

5 Steps to Changing the World Doing What You Love

2014-10-20 By Monica 11 Comments

Sometimes people make light of the idea that each of us is a “special snowflake,” but guess what? It’s true. There is no one else exactly like you in the universe, and there’s no one else exactly like me either. We each have a unique way of doing things and a form of expression that no one else has.

This uniqueness provides each of us with a rare and priceless opportunity to provide a unique gift to the world. Even when we do work that is similar to others’, our presentation and expression is guaranteed to be different.

The Dagara tribe in Africa understands this concept well. The Dagara know that each person brings an irreplaceable contribution to the world, not just to their family and community. When a tribal elder dies, it’s seen as the equivalent of a massive library burning to the ground. In death, the elder’s knowledge and gifts are lost to the world. [Read more…] about 5 Steps to Changing the World Doing What You Love

Simple Ways to Bring More Joy to Your Holiday Season

2013-12-21 By Monica 11 Comments

The holiday season can be hectic, and at times, even stressful. If you want to take some of the stress out of your holiday and replace it with joy, here are 18 simple ideas and tips for gift giving, meaningful traditions, and caring for yourself. [Read more…] about Simple Ways to Bring More Joy to Your Holiday Season

50 Ways to Nurture Yourself (Includes a Printable Download)

2013-10-28 By Monica 12 Comments

In honor of LifeOhm’s 50th post, I am giving you, my amazing readers, a free printable download to help you remember to nurture yourself. Click here to download the free printable and go on to read more about the 50 Ways to Nurture Yourself.

The Importance of Nurturing Yourself

At one time or another, we all feel stressed or pressured by our busy schedules. During busy times, especially, it is so important to nurture ourselves. As the flight attendants wisely point out, you have to put on your own oxygen mask before trying to help others. The same thing goes for caring for yourself: if you don’t take the time to nurture and care for yourself before helping others, you will quickly become fatigued and end up having less to give.

“If you feel ‘burnout’ setting in, if you feel demoralized and exhausted, it is best, for the sake of everyone, to withdraw and restore yourself. The point is to have a long-term perspective.” ~ Dalai Lama

When you take the time to nurture and care for yourself, it’s easier to have a happy, upbeat mindset. You feel better about your life in general and it’s easier to get through challenging work tasks. This in turn allows you to have more to give to family and loved ones.

Where is Your Breathing Space?

2013-07-29 By Monica 5 Comments

When I was in Montana last week, I was reminded of a section that used to be in the Oprah magazine called “Breathing Space”. Breathing Space featured a relaxing photograph and a reminder to readers to take time to relax and just breathe. Like the photos in the magazine, many of us have our own “breathing spaces” or places in nature that are so awe inspiring that one can’t help but feel at peace.

One of my favorite breathing spaces is Holland Lake in beautiful western Montana. It’s in between the stunning Mission Mountains and the wild and natural Bob Marshall Wilderness, just east of the town of Seeley Lake.

What Are Your Anchor Habits and Why Do You Need Them?

2013-06-25 By Monica 3 Comments

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” ~ Aristotle

An anchor is a device that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. When the vessel starts to drift away from its intended location, the anchor helps protect it by securing its spot and not letting it drift too far away.

When you think about it, some of our habits serve as anchors for us. When we start to drift away from where we want to be, there are certain habits you can start doing that will almost immediately help bring you back to your center and to your intended direction.

Activities or Practices That Help Anchor Us

One of my anchor habits is yoga. If I maintain a regular yoga practice of at least once a week (twice or more times per week is better, and daily is ideal), then it is much easier for me to maintain my other health and fitness habits of eating more vegetables, drinking eight or more glasses of water per day, maintaining a healthy weight, and relaxing more and being present in the moment. When I stop doing yoga, I tend to drift out to sea a bit, my healthy eating habits start to slip, and I feel more stressed and less like myself.

Anchor Habits At Home

Another example of an anchor habit that we often see in the home is keeping a clean sink. You will find if you are able to keep your sink clean, meaning the dishes are all washed and put away or in the dishwasher, it is easier to keep the rest of your house clean. Once a few dishes start to stack up on your sink or counter, it can be easy to begin to drift and before you know it, you have a much larger mess. Making the bed is another example. If you have the habit of making your bed every day, it’s easier to stay on track and anchored with the rest of your room.

meditation

The Importance of Nurturing Yourself

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