2012 February

How do you see it?

February 27, 2012 By Kalia Leave a Comment

There is a hill that I like to walk. It’s a decent hill, that climbs, and at the end, it gets pretty steep, (it’s affectionately called “kill hill” ; )
The first time I walked it, it felt really steep.
After a few months of walking it at least once a week, it’s still steep, but it’s the kind of challenge I look forward to, because I know how good it feels to get to the top.

Albert Einstein talked about each one of us having a major decision to make about whether we see the world as hostile or friendly. Imagine yourself for a moment with each perspective, and guess how you would feel differerent.

Today, I want to invite you to look at your perspective of how you take care of yourself. This means:

how you move and feed your body
how you nourish your spirit
the attention you give your emotions.
Do you see self-care as a burden? Does it ‘make you’ feel guilty?
Or do you choose the perspective that allowing yourself to be a priority is a good thing for everyone in your life – yourself included?

From your perspective, (which is all that really matters, because this is at the root of your beliefs), how important is it that you are healthy? Does it matter if you have good energy and are resilient? What parts of your life are affected by your mood?

And most importantly, do feel like you have the ability to make the changes in your life that will support you in these areas?

My perspective is that you absolutely do. I’ve supported enough clients and friends through changes to be an absolute believer. Sometimes you just need more or better information, and sometimes you need the support to see and shift that deep place inside of you that imagines what is possible.

I would love to know what your perspective is - sharing it could make the difference in someone else’s life- we’re not alone here!

Filed Under: Curiosity, Energy, happiness, Inspiration Tagged With: Curiosity, habits, simple steps

Are you Enough?

February 22, 2012 By Kalia Leave a Comment

In our busy days, we are often so wrapped up in doing and achieving and helping… Life comes flying at us at a dizzying pace, and we can get spun in that vortex. We can get lost in the illusion that if we could just somehow finish “the list” or perfect the project, that we would finally have arrived, we would finally be ‘enough’.

What if you were enough right now.

Just as you are.

Without changing or finishing or fine-tuning anything?

As a mom, wife, entrepreneur, sister, daughter, friend, community member…I can get caught up in creating my identity through what I do and how well I do it.

Can you relate? Thankfully, I’ve been able to navigate myself to a place where I no longer have to do it all perfectly- at least most of the time. A few years ago I was facing some really tough times with my recently launched business. I didn’t know what to do, and I felt like a failure. I remember that a-ha moment when I received this simple truth. (Of course, it came from my mother… Thanks Mom!)

What you are creating in your business is not who you are.

said another way – - You are already enough, just as you are.

So don’t go taking on the world, conquering the dragons, perfecting the art of juggling the toddler, while flipping pancakes and scheduling a meeting simultaneously- at least not to prove anything.

Let the challenges you take on be in pursuit of your passions, your Spirit and Soul. Maybe that does include juggling, flipping and scheduling (not anyone else’s call but your own).

Know that some challenges that come will be un-chosen. For those, just show up. Do what you can. Don’t try to do any of it perfectly. Know that you are enough.

Right now, that gem inside you already exists. Simmering and Shimmering.

The only thing to do is uncover it by letting go of the ‘shoulds’ and ”have-tos’ that have dimmed your light.

Right now, just take a breath into the idea that you are enough.

Filed Under: Inspiration, Learning, Mind Tagged With: Energy, habits

5 Tips for Cleansing without losing your mind

February 13, 2012 By Kalia Leave a Comment

Cleansing is awesome.

There is a sense of freedom and lightness that comes from letting go of habits that aren’t helping you, extra weight, and helping your body get rid of toxins.

As a busy mom, wife and entrepreneur, I find that going at a gentle pace with my cleansing serves me better than doing something radical. At the end of the day, I still need to make dinner for my kids, make sure they have clean clothes to wear, and not be so run-down that I can’t be present and nurturing for them.

So, if you are in the same boat, I wanted to offer some simple tips for cleansing at a pace that will still allow you to be there for your family and your business.

Make sure you are getting enough water throughout the day. Adding some greens (either in a smoothie, or powdered greens) and squeezes of lemon with help up the cleansing properties of water for you.
Move your body every day. When we move, whether walking, dancing, doing yoga- whatever, we increase our circulation, which helps our bodies off-load toxins, and we nourish our organs with fresh nutrients and oxygen. When move our bodies, we also tend to deepen our breath. Breathing is an incredible tool for detoxification, make the most of it. Plus, it helps us stay clear in our mind and keep a good attitude.
Exfoliate. Our skin is our largest organ of elimination (yes, your skin is an organ), so to help keep things moving along, it’s great to start each day- or ever one day a week- with a dry body brush. You can find these at any health food store, and just take a few minutes before you shower in the morning to scrub your body with the dry brush. Start at the hands and feet, and move toward your heart with circular strokes.
Experiment with letting go of foods that can be problematic for people. The biggest ones include; sugar, dairy, wheat, soy and eggs. For me, creating a nutrition program that includes very little sugar is the best. I notice such a big difference in my energy, my skin and my weight, that it has become a way of life. Get really curious about this for yourself. How does your body feel when you’re not eating lots of sugar? What about letting go of dairy or wheat for a few days. Experiment with this so you can notice the effects these foods have on YOU.
Play with your awareness. Your thoughts have a huge effect on your body chemistry. Stressful or negative thoughts create toxic levels of stress hormones, and can ultimately create disease in the body. This doesn’t mean that you should pretend that there are only butterflies and rainbows in the world- being delusional isn’t healthy either. What you can do is create a mindfulness practice that lets you see your thoughts instead of be your thoughts. There is a wonderful freedom that comes form being able to just notice that you’ve gone off on some dark tangent, but not get wrapped up in it, feeding it from the fuel of your imagination. You can also incorporate practices that encourage positive mental states, which create healthy hormone levels and body chemistry that encourages health.

Play with doing some of these things. Pick one or two if you are feeling pressured, or decide to spend a few weeks incorporating them all. Chances are, you’ll feel lighter and more energized by the end of it.

Join me for a 28 day empowerment cleanse that starts Feb 22, 2012 – I will be leading this empowerment and nourishing cleanse with my long-time mentor and friend, Joyanna Cotter - There are three different levels you can choose to join at- the basic level is FREE!

Go Here for details… and to sign up.

Filed Under: Action, Curiosity, Inspiration, Monday Moment, weight loss

Will just doing what you can make a difference?

February 10, 2012 By Kalia Leave a Comment

I’m not sure about you, but my to-do list gets a little long…

And by long, I mean Rapunzel’s braid long. Kind of makes me want to throw it out the window like Rapunzel did with her braid

Having a list like that can be overwhelming.

So can starting a hard-core diet, or an over the top exercise routine.

While going all-out can work for some things, ultimately, things get done when we take them one thing at a time. Burning yourself out with hours of gym time every day just means you won’t get long-term results. Most crash diets end up in more weight gained than was lost.

So, for today, what is one thing you can do to support and nourish your body.

Is it going for a 20 minute walk? Or adding 10 push ups to your routine.

Maybe it’s as simple as starting the day with a big glass of water, and carrying water around with you the whole day.

Or perhaps it’s taking a few minutes every morning before jumping into the day to think about some of the gifts of your life. Roll them around in your mind and notice any sensations that come up in your body.

Find your one thing, and do it every day, until it’s a habit. Then find one more thing. Repeat as needed.

When we add one thing, we create way less resistance and backlash within ourselves. After all, who can’t do just one little thing? Doesn’t have to be hard, or take a long time. But that one thing, when it’s a habit, can make a hug difference in your energy level, and it can boost your confidence because you see you can make changes in your life. And they don’t have to happen all at once with drama and suffering.

What will your one thing be today?