The countdown to Christmas and the end of the year is on. I can feel the pull of stress even as I have been well prepared and on top of things this year. Rather than allow that pull, I think I will start a countdown of my own.

Here's to the countdown of deep breaths. Here's to the countdown of waiting before I speak. Here's to the countdown of five more minutes...or maybe just five more to relax. Here is to the countdown of items left on the to do list. And then another cheers to the countdown of deep breaths. 

The funny part is most of the stress of the holidays is cast upon myself, by myself. So here's to letting it go!

I'm grateful to make a mess with my kids and husband making a whole gingerbread house village today. I'm grateful for the laughs that ensued watching each girls' technique in decorating. I'm grateful for plenty of time for the few things left on my to do list. I'm grateful for deep breaths. I'm grateful for conscious countdowns. I'm grateful for holiday fun and traditions. And I'm grateful for recognizing what is and isn't truly important this season.

What countdowns are you doing this time of year? Are you taking time to find balance?

May this season offer us the gift of conscious balancing. May we decide what is worth juggling and what plates can be set aside. Have a beautiful day!

Shh. Just listen for a minute. Do you hear it? It is the sounds of life. Maybe like me you are in a quiet space and can only hear the hum of electronics buzzing... but there is still life. There is the gentle rustle of movement and the breath moving in and out. 

Maybe you are in a busy place that is bustling with noises. Maybe is sounds energizing or maybe those noises feel a bit too much. Either way, you are hearing life. It is all around us in the quiet moments and the loud. 

Try picking out one sound. Can you find a rhythm in it? Now try to sync your breath. If it is a fast rhythm, make your breathing the slow base accompaniment. If it is a slow rhythm, add your breath in step. 

This moment is yours. Creating your own soundtrack of life and breathe from this moment is your gift. It is a gift you can give yourself any time, anywhere. 

Congratulations, you have just taken a moment to be mindful. You've taken a minute to appreciate the beauty of the moment and connect with it. 

I'm grateful to be able to hear. I'm grateful to be able to see and smell. I'm grateful to be able to control my breathing and use it as a tool for harmony. I'm grateful to pause and listen. I'm grateful for the background track of life that plays in different forms every moment. I'm grateful to take a moment to connect and just breathe. I'm grateful to have you join me in this mindful moment.

How can you add this into your day? What other ways can you pause and create?

May today be a beautiful soundtrack. May we find time to pause and play in tune. Have a beautiful day!

When water flows over a stone it slowly smooths and carves it. It isn't an overnight event. It is something that happens over time. This is what I keep reminding myself as my family navigates a whole new schedule and new routines. 

I love mixing things up but I also love having a baseline routine. Certain times set aside for work, nap, and play help me to be present where I am needed. The routine is still new and in limbo as we try different things to see what helps us all transition most smoothly. But for now it still feels jumbled and a little chaotic.

This is the water from the storm. It is rushing and flowing any which way it can go to keep moving forward. 

Just like the storm water returns to a slow stream, so will my life return to smoother days. Those smoother days will slowly begin to carve a new routine. It will get comfortable.

Sure, there will still be times of storm and rushing water. There will be times the water changes course and has to begin again in smoothing a new path. This is all part of life and I welcome it.

For now I will let it flow in all its chaotic rush. I will take deep breaths and observe. I will watch for places the water seems to flow the smoothest and the routine seems to be working. And I will follow its lead. 

I'm grateful to just pause and focus on nature. I'm grateful to witness the rush feeling and observe it as if it was a river flowing past. I'm grateful to know the waters will smooth and slow again soon. I'm grateful to let it flow as it needs as my whole family adjusts to all the new. I'm grateful to be as calm and steady as possible for my kids in these times of change. I'm grateful to learn from them the art of rolling with it.

Which stage of life is your water flow? Is it rushing and changing? Is it smooth and steady? What visuals do you picture to help yourself stay steady even when life is shifting?

May we be steady as the rock and flowing as the water. May we find comfort in being the observer while still having both feet in the game. Have a beautiful day!

This weekend provided a much needed getaway to the lake. There is something about camping that is not just enjoyable but a necessity to my soul. When life gets to spinning too fast, camping resets me. 

Most of my life I have had trouble sleeping. I wake in the middle of the night with my mind running circles, either about what happened during the day or what I need to get done tomorrow. Before kids, a simple short meditation could clear this out. I even keep a notepad by my bed to jot things down so I can let it go and think about it during the waking hours. 

Over the last couple months, these techniques have not been working as well. Part of it is that I am just retraining myself on meditation because it had become so sporadic since having kids. Part of it is an increase of anxiety and stress from some situations I couldn't control and didn't know how to respond. 

While my family and I were out camping this weekend I found myself still unable to sleep. One the one hand I felt a little disheartened because I had set an expectation for a mental reset and yet my mind was still running wild. On the other hand I got to experience this beautiful, quiet, peaceful secondary vacation. It was just me and the stars. 

I'm grateful for the reminder that some things take more conscious effort and commitment than just driving to a new location. I'm grateful to commit to bringing my meditation practice back to a daily ritual. I'm grateful for the weekend away with my family. I'm grateful for our camper and to find ways to use it even amongst busy schedules. I'm grateful for the opportunity to spend some time with the stars. I'm grateful for the beautiful clear view of so many of my favorite constellations. 

What is your favorite way to reset? How do you unwind at night to get a good night's sleep?

May today remind us that every challenge has its reward.  May we always remember to make time for self-care. Have a beautiful day!

I know a traditional metronome provides the cadence of ticking as well as something visual to watch. In the real world I am too busy chasing my girls around, homeschooling, cooking, cleaning, and everything else that goes with living to actually sit and watch a metronome. The clock would seem to offer that same steady beat...tick, tick, tick...at least if I changed the battery it would. 

I have never used a true metronome but I imagine I would prefer a fairly slow pace of ticks. Perhaps that is the same reason I do not replace the clock's battery. I don't need a fast beat to march to for my day. The running around with my kids is great but in between our games I like to slow it back down...tick..........tick...........tick. 

Each second is passing as it always does. Each minute passes at the same rate as the last though often it doesn't seem that way. Even some hours feel they pass quicker than others and yet I know it isn't really true. 

As I sat down in my work area today, I didn't need a metronome or a clock. I could feel the build in thump thump of my heartbeat. I could hear the whoosh whoosh of the ocean sounds over the monitor from my little one's room as she naps. I can hear the soft snoring breaths of my dog napping on her cushion. Life is full of these little built in metronomes if I am quiet and still enough to listen. 

I'm grateful for these little sounds giving the day it's own rhythm. I'm grateful to have a beating reminder of what pace I want to keep during my day. I'm grateful to ebb and flow, fast and back slow, with my girls. I'm grateful for the soft snoring by my feet. I'm grateful to feel a cadence and keep moving forward. I don't need to see it to feel the drum beat in my heart.

What is your real life metronome? What pace do you like to keep each day?

May we remember to march to our own drumbeat. May we keep the cadence that works best for our lifestyle and our health. Have a beautiful day!

Today has me feeling a bit off kilter. My anxiety has been tested. My patience has been tested. My sanity is feeling a little bit tested. So I think it is time, now that I have a few minutes to myself, to test my focus. It is time for a tune UP.

I need to tune back in to all the things that have gone right today. I want to tune back in to all the things I am grateful for right now. I want to tune my vibration back to a higher resonation. This is the kind of tune up I am needing. How about you?

When I am tuning up, the number four is especially important. I need the four senses of my meditation, my grateful four, and at least four minutes. You may be thinking, "wait aren't there five senses?" When I am tuning up, I prefer to have my eyes closed. I prefer to cut our that extra information coming in. I check in on any lingering tastes and have a little drink of water. I check in on what I smell, thankfully nothing funky like diaper trash. I check in on what I hear. In my case it is more important what I don't hear. I don't hear the kids fussing or screaming, just silence...or mostly aside from the dog snoring and my husband working in his office on a creaky chair. I hear peace. These help set the tone because without these first elements I can't properly focus on feel. It isn't so much touch that I am zeroing in on, but rather how things feel inside my body. That vibration of chaos that lets me know I needed this time. 

Once I sink into that physical space, the present moment; I can begin thinking on my grateful four. These are the four things I am grateful for today that hopefully I already outlined when I woke up. If not, they can certainly be found in this moment too. 

I'm grateful for all the ways my kids help me grow as a person. I'm grateful to have a flexible wake up schedule right now to allow me to not be rushed in the morning. I'm grateful to wake up next to my husband every day. I'm grateful for my amazing family and all the love and support we share. 

In this moment I am grateful for this peaceful quiet. I'm grateful for my dog's snores. I'm grateful for wonderful nurses that do their best to keep a doctor's visit moving along smoothly. I'm grateful for my kids' bravery. I'm grateful for easy lunch options. I'm grateful for my husband who is my rock when I am off kilter. I'm grateful to sit and have a tune up. And I'm grateful for the lingering taste of that chocolate covered almond...yum!

What are you grateful for in this moment? When was the last time you gave yourself a tune UP? How does that look for you?

May we remember to take care of ourselves just as we would our kids or our cars. May we nourish our body, mind, and spirit. Have a beautiful day!

I remember in my younger days sleep seemed optional. If something better came along I just said yes and found time for a cat nap some other day. It wasn't that big of a deal.

Fast forward to motherhood in my thirties. I'm not sure if it is the age difference or the cumulative lack of sleep of four years of interruptions, most likely both, but sleep has become the award at the end of the day.

Don't get me wrong, I still find all sorts of ways to miss out on it. I choose to watch a movie with my husband after the girls go to sleep or I play online longer than intended. If I'm anywhere near the end of a book, sleep is going to wait.

The difference is I don't bounce back as fast. I drag the next day. Sometimes for multiple days even after a good nights sleep. One of these years I'm going to get a whole week, seven whole nights of uninterrupted sleep. It will be amazing!

Sometimes I plan vacations. Sometimes I dream about what life will look like when my husband and I are retired empty-nesters. Sometimes I fantasize about sleeping through the night and waking refreshed. Oh the changes that age and motherhood can make. 

I'm grateful to feel a little silly today. I'm grateful my daughter has not caught on the the fact that I yawn every time someone else does. I'm grateful that I can turn a yawning fit into a silly game for us to play. I'm grateful my girls seem to be sleepy today too and we can just relax together. I'm grateful for a little chocolate boost to get me through a couple more hours. I'm grateful to allow myself time to meditate and release any judgement that I slept through most of it. I'm also grateful for work alarms. 

What is something that has become more important over time in your life? How much sleep do you get each night? What is your go to pick-me-up?

May we find humor in the choices we make. May we get the sleep we need and still have plenty of time for fun. Have a beautiful day!

Last night's insights were great but those "aha" moments only go so far if I don't take action. So I asked myself what steps I need to take first and foremost to get myself back on track, back in a parasympathetic state. 

I got a little more sleep last night, though that will still need some catching up for a while. When I woke this morning, fifteen minutes before my husband's alarm, rather than lay there restlessly I got up. I went into the hall with my headphones and listened to a meditation. When my mind is monkeying around, it helps to have someone else's voice to follow to get me back into the rhythm. 

After that I did some minimal yoga stretches as I could hear everyone beginning to get up and around. Then I told my preschooler the exciting news; we were going on a hike. We packed out camelbaks with lunch, water, and the usual necessities like a magnifying glass. Once the baby was up from her morning nap we headed out. We just did a half mile loop trail and I took the wagon instead of the baby carrier but it went well.

We had fun exploring along the trail and enjoyed our picnic lunch. It was a great time and for the first time in a long time I wasn't checking my watch to make sure we were on schedule. I just enjoyed being out. Even with the intense heat of the day, we still had a great time!

I'm so grateful to get out in nature. I'm grateful my girls love being outside. I'm grateful to have so many trails near us. I'm grateful to suggest to my husband we make more time to hike and be out in nature as a family, and have him agree. I'm grateful for the insights of yesterday and even more grateful to put them into practice today. I'm grateful to take steps to make myself accountable so I can work to make this into a habit and routine. 

What helps you stay accountable? What helps renew your spirit and calm your mind?

May today spur us into actions that get us a step closer to our goals. May we walk the path in joy and seek gratitude along the way. Have a beautiful day!

This week I am finding the need for more reassurance, more downtime, and more loving interactions. I don't know if it is the alignment of the planets or simply the energy of chaos we have been living in with all the racial and covid divide. Whatever the reason for the need, the Universe is answering.

There was a book I had seen recommended called Rhythms of Renewal (by Rebekah Lyons). I put it on my hold list at the library back in January but there were a few people ahead of me on the list. Then the library shut down. I had completely forgotten about the book until I made our weekly library book pick-up run yesterday. In amongst all the books I had gotten for my girls was an adult book...Rhythms of Renewal. It has been nearly a year since I got myself a library book. I had completely forgotten what it was even supposed to be about. Then I read the tagline.

"Trading Stress and Anxiety for a Life of Peace and Purpose." It felt like a big cosmic hug. It reminded me I am supported and not just by my family and close friends. I've got the universe behind me and I can handle this. I've only read the introduction so far but it feels divinely orchestrated that this book would arrive now. 

It also seems strangely opportunistic that Deepak recently started a new meditation series. It is wildly helpful that my baby slept in the last two mornings which allowed me to get a little extra sleep. It is comforting that the books my daughter wants to read right now are based on Bob Marley songs and very uplifting. The more I look, the more I see how supported I am.

I'm grateful to see the Universe has my back. I'm grateful for all the things that held up me getting this book until now so that I could receive the information at the best time. I'm grateful to have some guided meditations to assist me while my mind is too keyed up to just sit. I'm grateful to just sit with my girls. I'm grateful to use music to give myself a mood boost. I'm grateful for my preschooler's great attitude lately that really helps the day go smoothly. I'm grateful to know I have support and love all around me. 

What helps you feel supported? How is the Universe showing you support? What coincidences are conspiring to help you?

May we see the ways we are supported in so many energetic ways. May we notice all the things that happen for a reason. Have a beautiful day!

I am no stranger to monkey-mind, that chaotic mental chatter that goes on inside. For a few years I had a pretty good handle on it because I meditated several times a day. Then I had kids... 

It's interesting that probably the time meditation is needed most is when you have little ones around, keeping patience as you explain for the fourteenth time today why they cannot use sharpies instead of their washable markers. 

For me, personally, the mental chatter is worse as a mom anyway. I'm sure a good portion of it is lack of adequate sleep. Yet there is a plenty of mom guilt (self-inflicted) with an added layer of mom-shaming from supposedly supportive facebook groups and outsiders. The combination of the two has been known to draw some tears from my tender heart and today was one of those days.

Interestingly thirty minutes after I got mom-shamed I got an email from someone saying what an amazing mom I was, completely out of nowhere. We all make mistakes but we also have our strengths and our successes. It is harder for me to mentally balance and recognize both sides when I am tired so I did my best to reflect on concrete moments. 

This weekend was full of moments of my older daughter asking for special mommy time. She was in need of some extra love and attention. Happily I was able to give it to her most of the times when she asked. This special time included going for a nature walk. As we explored the trail we found some acorns and set a buffet on a log "table" for the nearby squirrels. We watched the creek flowing and we ran along the top of the dam. We also had some yoga time and chose a new focus word for the week, "patience". 

I got several moments of time with my little one too, enjoying her laughter and smiles. 

There were moments I could see where I could have done "better". There were things I could see I needed to shift tactics to get out of a rut with my headstrong preschooler. But overall, I am a good mom. 

I'm grateful to recognize the mental chatter and its link to exhaustion. I'm grateful for a loving husband to bring me back when I take others' words to heart. I'm grateful to know that my girls think I am a good mom. I'm grateful to know I am doing my best even if that looks different day to day. I'm grateful to see when I can make shifts and changes and where I feel I am on the right track. I'm grateful for the beautiful email tonight that was so kind and up-lifting. I'm grateful for the special time with my girls and especially to get outdoors in nature. I'm grateful to see the need to make more time this week for mediation and me time as the mental chatter grows.

How do you recognize when the mental chatter is getting too loud? What does your monkey mind try to tell you? How do you redirect when the chatter goes negative?

May today be filled with supportive and loving dialogue. May we move towards where we want to be while giving ourselves grace in the moments we feel we fell short. Have a beautiful day!