MINDFULNESS, GRATITUDE, INTENTION

It’s March and I can already hear the anxious buzz in my head and around me “it’s already March, Q2 is coming!!” and “how is the year going by so fast?”  The reality of daily life has interrupted the projects we started in Jan, the gym schedule, the diet, the deadlines for Q1 …all causing us to wonder, will we complete and how, and when, and, and … stress!

What we need most at times like that are mindfulness practices and to come back to the core of our self where we are clear on what’s important and find renewing energy to refocus our intellect.

I have a few favorite things that help me with this, and I am excited to share these with you! When the stress levels start to climb, I know that I need to Interrupt the cycle so that I can stay focused and continue to enjoy the process.  A few centering props help me so that I stop worrying about the past, fearing for the future outcome and really get present with where I am and what needs to be done.

Unconventional wisdom

This is a small book of special quotes I received as a gift from IPEC, my coaching training school.  It’s amazing because I can open it up to a random page and see the message that the Universe wants me to have today.  It makes me pause and reflect and appeals to the “left brain-thinker” side of me.  I can focus on the new lesson and it helps me to gain a new perspective and now move forward. Different philosophies and books will inspire each of us differently, I urge you to find your own book of wisdom that you can refer to when needed.

Meditational music

My best friend from college gave me this CD for Inner Calm over Christmas one year.  It has been an incredible source of calm for me.  Through emotional times, when I can’t think anymore, music helps me create a space where I can just recharge and be.  If you can give in it to the beauty of music or art, the goodness of the present washes over you. Nowadays, there are so many sources of meditational music, on YouTube, Spotify, Amazon… find the music of mindfulness that suits your mood.

My journal 

For years a journal is where I poured all my thoughts, emotions and teenage angst.  Then work-life hit and suddenly there was no time for it.  Recently, I’ve added it back in a more intentional manner.  For things I want to work on, experiences worth capturing, nothing helps to process better than writing it out.  It’s a form of expression that is so personal and yet can be so clarifying to see your thought on a sheet of paper staring back at you.  In recent years, my journal has evolved from simply recording events to a written acknowledgment of the things I am most grateful for and a declaration of what I intend to create today.

Crystal tree of life

I was participating at a Wellness fair and was asked to pick a stone that called out to me.  As I looked over the gems in all colors and shapes, a quiet pink stone kept grabbing my attention. It was the rose quartz which I did not know represented unconditional love, compassion, and peace.  It speaks directly to the Heart Chakra in dissolving emotional wounds and providing personal fulfillment.  I was awed that this is the stone I picked.  I now own a mini crystal tree of rose quartz where I set my intentions and am soothed by the vibrations of this healing crystal.

It helps me to center regularly and I love my centering props in addition to practicing breathing and yoga.   We all need different things though, so use my list or seek out the ones meant for you, to surround yourself with and bring you calm and clarity in difficult situations.