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The Simplest Thing

October 10, 2011 By Kalia Leave a Comment

I think it’s a result of our ‘want it all right now’ mentality.

We believe our actions must be extreme and all-encompassing to make a difference.

We forget that in each moment we have a choice.

We choose what we eat, what we drink.

We choose to move or to rest.

We choose our thoughts, whether we realize we are making a choice or not.

So forget the dramatic cleanse for now; don’t worry about the extreme diet, or radical exercise plan.

Focus on the choice that is before you right now.

Decide on one simple choice you can make today that will make you feel clearer, more joyful, and more vibrant.  You could start with adding more water, going to sleep earlier, choosing look for the good in your life, or listening to what your body is telling you.

If you want to get clearer about your choices, and have fun exploring and designing your path to more energy, less stress, and a more engaging,  joy-filled  life, check out Mind Body Booty Camp- It starts next week!

Filed Under: Energy, How-to, joy, Monday Moment, wellness Tagged With: , ,

Why more of this is NOT a good thing…

September 6, 2011 By Kalia Leave a Comment

It’s everywhere.

We can’t escape it.

The amount of information that bombards us, promises us what we want, shocks us into reading more of it…

So right now, this moment,

Take a break.

Take a breath.

Put down the information- whatever form you are consuming it in.  And walk away.

Get in nature.  Dive in the ocean, sink  your hands into the earth, wiggle your toes in the sand or the dirt or the air above you. Turn on music and move your body to the beat. Bite into a sweet, juicy strawberry.

Get out of your head and into your senses.  Allow your thoughts to be what they are, and immerse yourself in the only reality that exists right now- saturate your senses with feeling alive.

There will never be a shortage of information.

If you miss it this round, (contrary to what they may tell you), if it’s good, it will come back around.  If it’s not worth hearing, than better not to waste your time with it.

Experience this moment.  Savor the juicy richness of what surrounds you.  Explore your world for what is alive in it.   Notice what feelings this inspires in you.  Is it joy, awe, love, peace, or something else?

It can take just a minute or two, but it can alter the course of your day.

Release the overwhelm and Enjoy!

Filed Under: Action, Curiosity, Energy, How-to, Inspiration, Mind, Monday Moment, Well-being Tagged With: , , ,

When you can’t seem to get to the surface…

August 19, 2011 By Kalia Leave a Comment

You’ve had those days.  The ones where it just all seems so endless…

The laundry, the dishes, the bills, everyone else’s needs, everyone else’s wants…

WAIT! I want to yell, channeling my inner three year old- ‘what about ME?’

I know, I know, I’m the mom, I don’t have needs, I am here to serve, to make sure everyone’s lunch is packed, socks are clean (and match!), and on and on.  And it’s partly true; I do love to have clean matching socks for my sweet children as they head out the door with a balanced meal packed in their lunch boxes.

But it’s NOT true that I don’t have needs, or wants.  I really do.  And I recognize that when I give those wants a needs a moment, a breath, a sweet glimpse in the moment of my day, I am better for it.

Right now, I am training for the Hana Relay, a 54 mile relay run along the Northeast coast of Maui.  With a team of 6 women, we pass the baton along the coast, laughing as the ‘naked’ team runs along, followed by the ‘beauty queen’ team.  And at the end of it all, Hana.  Surrounded by beauty, the ocean, gentle passing showers, and a big house filled with incredible women, and three days of laughter, lounging, swimming and just being.

This is my want, my need.  And I am buoyed by knowing it is just around the corner…  It pulls me through my run in the park while my daughter is at piano, or squeezing in a run between teaching and the volunteer soccer coaches’ meeting.  It’s my carrot, hanging out there to draw me forward.

What is your want, your need?  What brings you to the surface?

Filed Under: Action, Energy, fitness, happiness, Inspiration, Stress Tagged With: , ,

Appreciation for those who bring us JOY

August 3, 2011 By Kalia Leave a Comment

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom” ~Marcel Proust

Who made you happy today? Who in the last week made you smile til your face hurt, laugh til your cried, or left you chuckling to yourself hours later?

Two incredibly simple(though not always easy) ways of being happier yourself are captured in this quote.

1) Being grateful is profound.  Turning your attention and awareness to what is wonderful and precious in your life right now can bring an incredible sense of joy and awe.

2) Being kind to someone else.  When we bring kindness into an interaction, we infuse ourselves and them with Joy.  The same goes for being willing to receive kindness.  Receiving allows the other person to enjoy the act of giving.   Both can be challenging for some people.  (Especially the receiving part if you are a busy mom entrepreneur who thinks she just needs to ‘get it done’.)

Bring these practices into your life today, and notice what happens to your joy-o-meter.

Filed Under: Energy, gratitude, happiness, health, How-to, Inspiration, joy, Stress, wellness Tagged With: , , ,

Can’t get no satisfaction

July 25, 2011 By Kalia 3 Comments

Planning birthday parties for my kids can turn me into a lunatic.   Sometimes,  I get so bound up, worrying about doing it right, for the kids, for the friends, for everything and everyone.  I start to think there is some “perfect” birthday party, and that I had better deliver it.  Talk about putting myself through misery.  It got me thinking about making comparisons with how other moms do it all.  It used to be that I tortured myself constantly about not ‘doing it’ right.  I’m getting better , but sometimes those big moments- like birthdays- bring it all, fresh, to the surface.

There are a million moments in every day that you could compare yourself to someone else.  Usually the comparison ends up shining a glaring light on how wrong you are doing it, and how everyone you meet has the solution.

Notice this happening.  See that feeling.  Allow that feeling to be there, without you giving or taking anything from it.  Don’t avoid it.  Don’t distract yourself from it with media, food or busy-ness.  Don’t argue with it.

Just sit with it, and breath into it.  Allow your breath to breathe you.  Float yourself into the moment with no agenda.  No expectation.  Discover that place.

Am I the only one who ever does this, or do you sometimes compare yourself with others?  I’d love to know if you have tried mindfulness to work with it- or if you have other strategies you use, please post them below.

Filed Under: Curiosity, Inspiration, Learning, Mind, Stress Tagged With: , , ,

Savoring

June 26, 2009 By Kalia Leave a Comment

This month we will look at the practice of mindfulness.  Last month’s 3 mindful alignments is a wonderful place to start.

Let’s  explore another simple way to foster mindfulness.

Savoring:  We savor the moment when we attune to our senses.  We allow all of our attention to go toward the sounds of the birds singing, the smell of the blooming gardenias, or the crisp, juicy texture and flavor of the first watermelon of the season.

In these acts of savoring, we allow another opportunity to be in the present moment, and expanding our capacity to do so.

Filed Under: Action, Curiosity, gratitude, How-to, Learning, Mind, Stress Tagged With: , , , , ,

Reach Beyond

June 7, 2009 By Kalia Leave a Comment

What is ‘Reach Beyond’?   Reach Beyond is an invitation to go further than that place of settling, for any part of your life that is not leading you towards your best health.  Maybe it shows up in your energy level, the amount of patience you have with your loved ones, the way you carry your body, or perhaps the fit of your jeans.  In each moment, each choice, we have the capacity within us to reach beyond.  One way of doing so is to notice those moments, catching the precise breath when the choice is made.  The first step is being able to be aware of those moments when they happen.

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Filed Under: Action, Energy, happiness, Inspiration, Mind Tagged With: , , , , ,

Sisterhood

March 2, 2008 By Kalia Leave a Comment

Happy Entrance into Spring!  Haven’t just returned from a trip to the snow, I am more acutely aware of what this season means, having seen the sweet new leaves beginning to emerge out of snow-covered earth.  This is a wonderful time to renew your connection with that powerful vision of what you want for your health and well-being.

“The self  is made, not given.  It is a creative and active process of attending a life

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Filed Under: fitness, get in shape, happiness, health, Inspiration, joy, Laughter, Learning Tagged With: , , ,