 On Meditation
What is it? How can it help us? Why bother committing to it? In this Mind the Gap Podcast Episode Stephanie discusses the 3 myths of meditation and why having a consistent practice is transformational and life changing. She also gives an example of how to use meditation as a tool to turn negative / destructive thoughts into positive / empowering ones. Let's Go! Listen Here.  Summer Self Care by Stephanie
“What you do for yourself-any gesture of kindness, any gesture of gentleness, any gesture of honesty and clear seeing toward yourself-will affect how you experience your world.” -Pema Chodron Nourish Body, Mind & Spirit Summer is the perfect time to slow down and notice where you need to be "fed", aka, practice self care. Nobody can do this for us. And if we don't do this for ourselves, we risk becoming resentful, contracted, and unhappy! We must feed ourselves in order to feed others. As I spoke about last week, we are in charge of our own happiness and this includes on going self care. Give yourself permission to do what makes you feel good. You're worth it. Top 5 Picks to Nourish Body, Mind & Spirit: Massage - From therapeutic and deep tissue massage to relaxing massage, it's one of the oldest healing modalities. Massage can relax muscles, soothe aches and pains, release energy blockages, rejuvenate body, mind and spirit. Yoga - Yoga promotes inner and outer health & well-being. In addition to improving physical health: flexibility, strength, balance, pain management, yoga is a powerful tool in personal transformation. Yoga has been shown to decrease stress, helping with anxiety and PTSD, while improving our mood and outlook on life. Meditation- We get 2 choices: medicate or meditate. From managing stress, anxiety, and PTSD to cultivating a deeper sense of inner peace and well-being, meditation can help. Energy Healing - Chakra Balancing is an energetic healing technique that works holistically on the body, mind and spirit from the inside out. Major systems of the body are restored with life-force energy to promote body's natural ability to heal. Chakras will be cleared and re-balanced so you feel lighter and empowered. Reading List - Self-enrichment is one of the keys to growth. Our top 5: -Untethered Soul by Michael Singer -- We are all trying to be okay. Guess what? You already are! -Reclaiming Joy by Stephanie Filardi -- 4 Steps, when applied, to live happy, healthy, free. -A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle -- Awakening to your life's purpose and then some! -A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson -- Love is a potent force and the key to peace...in relationships, work, life... -Women, Food & God by Geneen Roth -- How we eat teaches us volumes about our life. Time to stop the battle with food and deeply listen.  The Reality of Suffering by Stephanie
Last week I wrote about being in control. I talked about taking more responsibility for what we can control (our actions/behavior) and not worrying so much about the thoughts and emotions that arise, which are beyond our control. What are you noticing? This week I write about the reality of suffering. Why suffering? Suffering is one of our greatest teachers. Much of our suffering comes from living in fear / wanting to control. More suffering happens as we continue to resist what is. This topic is broad. I will try and keep it simple by asking you to consider 2 questions over the next week as you live your daily life. Remember, living life is a practice and can be the most powerful portal for spiritual awakening, growth ...and freedom. 1. Is this suffering I am experiencing self made? 2. Is this suffering I am experiencing part of life? How will you know? For question #1, self made suffering is a result of our thoughts and emotions and the inner narrative/story we replay over and over. Thoughts feeds emotion and emotion feeds thought and before we know it, this cycle of suffering becomes a way of life. This inner narrative, often a part of our dysfunctional mental conditioning over years, keeps us regretting the past and worried about the future. The result? We remain stuck in the present, which is in direct opposition to "how life works" and quite frankly why we were born. Life only takes place in the present. Life itself requires us to keep moving. We can choose to move, or life will move us on its own terms. Please note: I am not saying to discard the lessons of the past. Nor am I saying to leave the future open to some woo woo practice of intention setting without action. What I am saying...is what I always say...take responsibility for your life. Your choices. Where you are. Where you want to go. And by all means, take small daily actions to move you along. For question #2, part of life's inevitable suffering is the pain we feel from loss of a loved one, an illness, tragedy, etc. If this writing resonates, perhaps you will keep a journal and at the end of each day, spend a few minutes reflecting the 2 questions. I am with you my friends. Namaste, Stephanie Nourishment For Body Mind Spirit
We've heard it said we teach/offer/share what we most need to learn. It's no coincidence that here at the Sanctuary Our Purpose is to guide and support one another further along on their personal journey. Our Mission is to provide the space for all beings to thrive. Why? Because all of us on Team BWS need it too. By serving others, we help ourselves in the process. Magical blessing. The services, workshops, writing, recipes...opportunities we offer are to help you nourish - and in the process connect with- body mind spirit. Body offerings include: massage, facials, energy healing and the occasional yummy recipe from Steph's kitchen like this protein smoothie here. Mind offerings include meditation and yes, yoga therapy. Spirit offerings include all of the above...plus events like the Love Meditation happening next week. What will you choose? Whatever you decide, choose YOU. Looking to give someone you love the Gift of Stress Relief? Give a Gift Certificate for a Learn to Meditate Session. Looking to give even more bliss? Give a Gift Certificate for a 3 Part Meditation Series. Benefits of meditation are many including: managing stress, anxiety, and PTSD while helping to cultivate a deeper sense of inner peace and well-being. Benefits increase over time with practice. Here's what Elisa had to say about her meditation experience with Stephanie: "Thank you for giving me such a wonderful gift on Saturday. The meditation session and your words have been with me since. I'm making more of an effort to sow seeds daily and continue to acknowledge and appreciate my self worth. For starters, I wrote a Joy List to remind myself of things I do or would like to do that make me happy. The last several years has been emotionally taxing for me and I have lost sight of who I am. After your session, I'm trying to look at things as "opportunities" rather than obstacles. Again, thank you." Purchase instant on-line gift certificates here and choose from custom templates to print or email… Or, if you prefer to stop in to purchase, we'll gladly package it for you… and you can combine it with one of our specialty items! OM.  |
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