Setting a summer intention (+9 ways to say no)
Women's Empowerment
What is your intention for summer 2015?
Do you plan to slow down and enjoy unscheduled downtime with your family? Is there a work or creative project you want to complete by early September? Do you desire to reconnect with those…
8 ways to have a mindful vacation
Mindfulness
I was visiting with a good friend last week who was feeling exhausted, frustrated and saddened that her recent family vacation was not what she had intended. "We crammed too much in, checked our work email too often and didn't build in…
Nora’s story: my first retreat
Women's RetreatsEver wonder what happens at our Women's Self-Renewal Retreats? Curious why someone would carve out time, line up child and/or parent care and jump through hoops to get away and spend a weekend with other women?
Nora Livesay, a mom and graduate…
Can you just “be with what is”?
Mindfulness
"To listen deeply is an act of faith." Adyashanti, author, The End of Your World
This morning I dropped off my newly minted teenager--who loves working with children--at our wonderful, local nature and science center to begin his first…
Slowing down to the speed of summer
Mindfulness
One of my touchstones for gauging how fast--or slow--I'm living, is noticing if I have a vase of fresh herbs and flowers on my desk. When I'm living the life I desire, I create the time to meander in my garden and pick colorful and unusual…
My challenge to you this summer: DO IT DIFFERENT!
Mindfulness
This morning I made migas with mushrooms for breakfast. Then I dropped off my son to volunteer at our friends wonderful farm camp (where I was greeted by roosters and got to pet a gentle horse and a goat) and I attended a morning yoga class.…
Are you stingy with your love?
Self-Care
This spring marked the 15-year anniversary of my mom’s passing. Healthy and active, she died at age 60 from congestive heart failure as a result of a sudden, serious case of the flu leaving behind six children ages 19 to 34.
She’s…
How bad do you want to feel good?
Self-Care
Last weekend I came down with a violent 48 hour stomach bug. After my illness, as I slowly regained my strength, I continued to feel "off" for days afterwards. My mood and energy level were low, my joints felt stiff and I had lost my joie…
We need each other
Self-Care
“No matter how much we meditate or pray, we still need others to help us dismantle the walls of our isolation and remind us of our belonging.” - Tara Brach
One time I was leading a work-life balance retreat for a group of twenty…
Who do you want to “be” when you’re 80?
Mindfulness
When all your desires are distilled you will cast just two votes: to love more and be happy. Hafiz
Years ago, my husband, son, and I visited some old family friends —and native Irish speakers — who live in a fishing village outside…
Are you over-managing your life?
Stress Management
"Sometimes letting things go is an act of far greater power than defending or hanging on." ― Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose
A few year ago, I led a telecourse on how to let go and go with the flow (available…
6 questions to stop you in your tracks
Women's Empowerment
Last Friday I led a one-day self-renewal retreat for wonderful group of women in Austin. It was a wise, creative, contemplative group. There were many insights and “ah-ha’s” shared, but one that stayed with me was, "I never knew a…