6 Ingredients for Life

Since back from the Haven Institute, I'm committed to how EVERY day needs to have several all-important ingredients inserted into it for my healthiest Carolyn to be alive and well...

#1 - Movement

It might be dance (like we did 10 times a day at Haven!), yoga, a long walk or whatever. I've actually been having two long periods of movement each day over this last while... early in the morning and then later in the afternoon to let go of the "stuff of the day." I don't know about you but I am most alive when I am home in my body and moving.

#2 - Play time

No work, no worries, just time to use in whatever way I want. Never one to sit down with a book, I've begun to change that now.

What am I reading right now? An exceptional book called, "The Exquisite Risk" by Mark Nepo, it's all about daring to live the fullest and most authentic life.

#3 - Time in nature

The blossoms on our cherry trees are absolutely incredible right now and the unfurling leaves emerging from each of our trees reminds me to be present and witness the incredible adventure that Mother Nature offers us.

#4 - Drinking lots of water

Guzzling a whole litre of water each day over these last three weeks (more than usual) reminds me of the incredible benefits to all of health, joints, cleansing and elimination. My skin has not looked this hydrated for a while.

#5 - Listening to my body hunger and fullness

I realize how much of my / our eating is out of social interest and entertainment! AND, how I realize how LITTLE food my body actually requires for functioning WHEN I TRULY LISTEN!

#6 - Breathing

The most important ingredient for life, breathing generallygets so little attention in our lives. But, to actually highlight breathing in a 10 - 15 minute block of time each day is like plugging into a live wire full of voltage. Conscious breathing contributes SO much to life's vitality!

Life consumes so much of our day-to-day attention to the point that it becomes much too easy to "fall asleep" to the all-important factors that really fuel life... well, no more for me. These ingredients are my new discipline with myself.

How are you doing with including these six ingredients into your life? They really can help, I know.

A new self emerging, Carolyn

http://www.life-balance-success.com/

Tests From the Universe

Ugh...

... just when life seems to be on a contented roll, a whollop comes from the sidelines to help me stay present.

What's the whollop?

Kidney stones! No, not again, please!!!

I got the dreaded call this morning. Richard's been up all night with severe pain in his back, just like many times in the past AND we both knew immediately what that likely meant.

After spending the day in emergency, waiting through tests and more tests, it was confirmed... yup, he's been growing a nasty "grain" that will likely be even more nasty to pass.

Surely, this is a test... it must be. How to remain calm, present and loving in the face of yet another crappy experience?!?

After finally tucking him into bed a short while ago (thankfully drugged out and feeling no pain on Demeral), I went for a long walk down to the water's edge, breathed fully the whole way and felt myself let go of the drama and, instead, come into this moment where I know it will all work out well... time permitting. What came to my attention?

- how much I love the quiet of our beautiful little community on the side of the mountain.

- how I can choose to get ruffled, or choose to be compassionate.

- how I choose a healthful lifestyle and can influence others with my example.

Let's hope this stone passes easily. I may have much more meditative breathing to practice yet, we'll see.

Carolyn

Awe Is Present Each Day... If Our Senses Are Attuned

The morning light's arrival at the early hour of 5:30am has become my time of awakening these days... and it pleases me. Being a morning person, I adore getting up (quietly while the rest of my sweet family sleeps) and going for a walk on our mountainside.

At that hour of the morning, it is like I have the world to myself and the stillness is incredible. It sounds silly to say this, but the silence is actually "loud." There are no people sounds anywhere! No automobiles, no lawn mowers, no children, nothing except me and the happily chirping birds.

Last week in my blog entry, I attached this amazing quote;
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." Quote by George Carlin

This quote touched and stayed with me all week! It is my early morning walks that are currently filling me with the greatest moments of breath taking awe recently. For example, as I climbed our steep driveway this morning, I caught the heavenly scent of something before even realizing that it was the apple blossoms on our tree... amazed that I'd never noticed how fragrant they are before.

((C) 2006 Photograph by Carolyn Clarke, all rights reserved)

I made the steep decent down to the local beach and perched myself on a big boulder looking out on the incredible stillness of the inlet... the entire body of water (10 miles long) just like a sheet of glass! Not a sound... not a single sound stirred for approximately 6 or 7 minutes, before a small fishing vessel fired up its engine a few miles up the coast. Nature offers such a surreal meditation. This is the incredible beauty that I am talking about...

((C)2006 Photograph by Carolyn Clarke, all rights reserved)

How fortunate that spring in full force is what pulls me into my greatest life balance "tool"... the outdoors with my Self.

As I huffed and puffed the entire way back up the mountain after my beach meditation, I thought about the dramatic difference we'll see in vegetation between the lush greenery that is abundant here right now, to the stark dryness of the Arizona desert we will experience next week.

Richard and I leave next Monday to teach another seminar for the Core Training Summit Conference, always a great experience. We LOVE the dry climate of the desert country and look forward to our time with the group, as well as the playtime we'll take after the event.

Set your senses out for the little awe-inspiring moments in each of your days. These moments are everywhere around us, IF we have our senses out to experience them.

Happy Day, love Carolyn!

www.innerfitness.ca

P.S. Upon our return from Arizona I will have the quirky kinks worked out of my first-built website and will have a launch date (with a Special Offer!) for our eBook to tell you about. We are THAT close!