Evoking Spirituality

Richard and I spent the past weekend facilitating a most wonderful and blissful Personal Retreat Program for two close friends wanting to expand their spirituality. What a special opportunity for us to be able to share our knowledge and to provide the space to evoke spirit!

How to find stillness in such a busy world? Life, with all of its typical hustle and bustle of activities can make it more challenging to make spirituality a priority.

This quotation speaks to the question, "How do I invite Spirit into my life?"...

“Are you doing something each day to restore and renew your spiritual energy so you can take that light with you into your world? It can make a huge difference when you energize your life by means of the spiritual practices you do…and most significantly, the useless activities you DON'T do!” Quote by Greg Barrette

What are spiritual practices? In our "Becoming the BEST YOU Possible" eBook, we devote an entire chapter to Spiritual Wellness. Here are the chapter headings that we write about;

* Nature’s Rebalancing Ways
* Rituals For Your Life
* The Value Of Meditation
* A Simple “Mindfulness Meditation”
* Clean Out the Clutter
* Create A Sanctuary
* Cleanse Your Home “Energy”
* Care For the Living
* Extend Loving Kindness

Also taken from our eBook, consider our list of potential Spiritual / Creativity activities to infuse your life with more meaning;

· read a “book of meaning”
· attend a sacred dance workshop
· mindfully walk a labyrinth
· attend a sacred festival
· attend a church service of your choice
· attend a sacred-type workshop
· attend a woman or men’s circle
· attend a Vipassana meditation session
· relieve a burdened mom for an hour, allowing her breathing space for herself
· take an elderly friend for a drive, tea or coffee and meaningful conversation
· become a Big Sister or Big Brother
· plant a special container garden and watch your labor of love grow
· or adopt a precious pet and treat it like gold…

…the rewards will be mutually great!!!

There you have it, numerous suggestions to bring a sense of sacred and spiritual meaning into your daily life. Easy and powerful practices can make a deep difference to the depth of tranquility and purpose of who you are, and how you experience peace. Attend to this calling and your life will become more enriched.

To get your "Becoming the BEST YOU Possible" eBook and bonuses click on this link and make your secure purchase...

www.life-balance-success.com

This eBook loaded with innumerable Work and Life Balance tips makes an AWESOME Christmas gift!!! $27

There is a wellspring, deep within each of us, of a spiritual energy and power that most of us can barely imagine. As we make daily time to visit tranquility and focus on our inner essence or source, Spirit's presence renews us, Spirit's energy infills us, Spirit's light restores us.

Become refreshed, invigorated and healed!

Namaste,

Carolyn

George Carlin's Message for Life

This is an important message that I am excited to share with you... which speaks about the current human condition and the task at hand for every individual on this planet today. Have a slow read, then share it around!

A Message by George Carlin

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints.

We spend more, but have less.

We buy more, but enjoy less.

We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time.

We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.

We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life.

We've added years to life not life to years.

We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.

We conquered outer space but not inner space.

We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.

We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice.

We write more, but learn less.

We plan more, but accomplish less.

We've learned to rush, but not to wait.

We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships.

These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes.

These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.

It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom.

A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete.

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it.
A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak!

And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

And always remember: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Quotation by George Carlin

Our eBook Is Complete!

Hi and welcome.

I'm excited to say, "Ta Da!" (with a musical tone to it) today!

After much anticipation, Richard and I are pleased to announce that our "Becoming the BEST YOU... Tools for Work and Life Balance" eBook is finally complete. A labour of love, this has been an eight month journey of working diligently at the computer each day.

By far, the hardest part of writing this eBook has been how to condense down 26 and 30 years of counselling and teaching experience into a publication without it becoming 500 pages long! We initially aimed to produce a 75 - 100 page book, but it quickly expanded to a now 111-pages. This is largely the reason the completion has taken MUCH longer than originally intended (and promised). We're sure that you'll agree, it will have been worth the wait.

So, what do we hope our readers (hopefully including you) will get out of this BEST YOU eBook?

The goal of this eBook is to help you remember how possible and powerful it is to choose to live in natural expression of your true potential, to embrace your personal abilities and find greater balance by embracing the flow of life. Aspiring to be and do your best to balance the urgent need for material success and security opens the freedom to explore the richness in love, play, creative expression and new depths of intimacy in your relationships. Improve your personal life first and the quality of your work life will improve, too!

Working with this eBook will lead you on an adventure to remember your true nature, helping you to remember the important difference between balancing the many extremes of DOINGS needed in your daily life with the essence and inspiration of your BEING… in order to experience the BEST YOU in a healthy, balanced way of living and working.

Over the years, we’ve seen how the application of specific self-care practices can make a difference to the quality of life that individuals live… simple tools, with transformational results.

What is Work Life Balance?

We teach that balance is a dynamic process… not a destination. Balance is a verb, rather than a noun… active and ever-changing. Much like a tight-rope walker naturally wavers to keep his balance; life is naturally like this, too… dealing with life’s challenges in the best way possible.

The task of the average working person is to maximize every opportunity in their home and work environments to optimize being as “balanced on the wire” as possible. How? By implementing simple practices that address every aspect of the human experience… which means looking after oneself well physically, emotionally, mentally, in relationships, in their work space and in spirit, too. We have much to offer here!

We know that when individuals take exceptional care of balancing their personal lives, they then bring a much better balance into their work experience. Their outlook is brighter and more optimistic. They tend to have better concentration and focus, they don’t have as many things pulling them in a million directions… overall, they have less stress and overwhelm. Yes, balance ends up expressed a little different for every person depending on what challenges and opportunities are going on in their lives, but the road to balance consists of pretty much the same ingredients… exceptional self-care in every aspect of life.

I'm not kidding when I say that this eBook is busting at the seams with information! Every page is absolutely full. Tastefully infused with graphics and even a few of my favourite photographs, too, it is visually appealing... or at least, that's the feedback so far.

The next phase of this eBook introduction is to now prepare our website to be able to deliver this downloadable file (along with it's companion two bonus chapters AND Relaxation Guided Meditation MP3!) in a seamless way.

Assuming this next step proceeds as smoothly as I hope it will, our "Becoming the BEST YOU Possible" eBook will be available very shortly! Thankfully, I'll have the valuable help of my friend, Sheila Martin to make this so. I may even have an exact launch date for you within the next few days... I'll certainly keep you alerted.

Warmly, Carolyn

Inner Fitness(R) Programs

www.innerfitness.ca

www.a-balanced-life.com

What Does Love Mean to You?

Happy Valentine's Day!

To love and be loved is probably the core desire for every human. Why then, do so many people have such a hard time expressing love and many others not able to receive it?

Our pasts contribute so much to this issue, depending on whether we were shown unconditional love as little children, or denied love for whatever the reason. Some people that were deprived of love become unable to express it unless they are shown love first. How ironic is it that unless we can show love to others, there lacks a flow and so love doesn’t come back, creating a sad cycle of not-knowing-love by not-showing-love!

Some people feel unworthy of love because they don’t love themselves, waiting to accept love only after they have a better self-image. Others are suspicious that displays of affection have sexual intent behind it and hold back for that reason.

How has your past contributed to your ability to express and receive love?

Are you happy with the way that you are able to experience love?

These following distinctions of love may help uncover some information for you.
The Greeks have separate words to express three kinds of love – Eros, Phileo and Agape.

EROS!
This love gets expressed through our sexuality and intimate passion! It is a deep and universal love, but is only displayed in our union with another through sensuality. Eros typically evokes possessiveness. (Valentine’s Day primarily addresses the Eros in relationships!)

PHILEO!
A warm, brotherly type of love, nurturing deep affection for another person, such as a true friend, sibling or a child. Phileo can also extend to loving our community of neighbors, to animals and even a love of wisdom (as in philosophy) and love of man (as in philanthropy).
(It’s fun to acknowledge your Phileo friends on Valentine’s, too!)

AGAPE!
Spiritual love, flowing through all of life and free of emotional and personal entanglements. Expressed through human relationships, it reveals mutual understanding, deep respect, cooperation and high esteem. This universal love grows peace and well-being, eventually transforming into bliss and passing all understanding.

Take this opportunity to ask yourself about your own experience of love in your life.

¤ How well do you know the Eros in your life? Are you as fully expressed as possible?
¤ Who are the Phileo relationships in your daily world?

¤ Do you know the Agape kind of love?

May you know each level of love in as fully expressed ways as possible!

Open your heart and open your arms and get ready to receive that which is inherently yours to have… you deserve it! Valentine's Day is a perfect time to stretch our love. I hug you!


Warmly, Carolyn

Inner Fitness(R) Programs

www.innerfitness.ca

Sawyer Brown's Message About Compassion

Music has a powerful way of moving hearts and souls!

When I came across this video clip and had a listen throughout Sawyer Brown’s song, entitled “They Don’t Understand,” I knew I had to share it with you. What he sings about in the song reflects in ALL of our lives… love and loss, and the lack of tolerance by so many people in our fast-moving world today.

The use of the rushing river and emotional images helps this song to be powerful in imagery, and the words make it a healing song, too. Watch this touching 4:15 minute video clip, listen carefully to each of the words, and ask yourself how you respond when faced with similar situations… crying babies and slow drivers, etc.

Though the last part of the song has an overt message of spirituality in it, I urge you to do as I did... take the greater message of having loving compassion for all persons. Isn't that what spirit is all about, anyways.

I believe that if all of us were to slow down somewhat in our lives, heighten our compassion and consider the drama-filled life stories that others around us are enduring in their lives… we’d create an entirely more loving world to live in.

Thanks to Sawyer Brown for reminding us of this important message. Click on this link to view;

http://www.yallwire.com/player/sawyerbrowntheydontunderstand.html?truveo=y

Warmly, Carolyn

Inner Fitness(R) Programs

http://www.innerfitness.ca/

Self-Hypnosis / Meditation for Stress Relief

Thanks for visiting.

Global change is under way and most people are feeling it's effects with more and more pressure. There are issues facing our countries, our peoples and our home planet that have never had to be faced ever before. And though it is an exciting time to be alive on Earth today, it is also a scary and insecure time, too.

How to stay focussed and calm and balanced in times like these?... a challenge facing most. It is predicted by the World Health Organization that stress, anxiety and depression will become the leading cause of disability in the workplace over the next 20 years. More and more individuals and corporations are now seeking answers to reduce stress, from taking yoga (at an all-time popularity level), to martial arts, fitness disciplines and meditation, too.

Self-hypnosis and meditation have powerfully positive effects on the body, including causing a slowing of the heart beat, the lowering of blood pressure, relaxation of the muscles, a gradual decline in the breathing and improved immune system.

The effects to a person's emotional and mental being are equally as dramatic, causing the quietening of mental thoughts, release of negative and depressive feelings... and infusing an inner peace in a person's soul. Self-hypnosis and meditation are the perfect remedy to eliminate stress and infuse relaxation.

Help your body to heal, your mind to become still, your feelings to seek joy and your spirit to know the purpose of your existence. We can help you with our series of Inner Fitness(R) meditation CDs to support your practice... www.innerfitness.ca/products.htm Meditate. Practice self-hypnosis. You will quickly begin to experience the rewards, throughout your entire being.

This will be my last post until November 15th as Richard and I are off to teach a Work and Life Balance seminar in Austin, Texas! Have a great ten days or so and I look forward to talking with you upon our return.

Warmly, Carolyn
Inner Fitness(R) Programs
www.innerfitness.ca