Monday Mantra :: Expansion

Hooray, hooray it's finally May!

Do you feel it?  

The change in the air.  

The new beginnings.  The shifts.  The anticipation just before the action.  The bursting forth.  The growth spurt.  The restlessness and the resistance.  

The opportunity to say yes to the things that jive with you and the chances to say no to the old you.  

We are in a period of expansion and how does that feel for you??  
Where in your life is there an aching to be bigger?  An urge to do something differently?  Where has there been an ending?  Are there nudges pulling or pushing you in a certain direction, perhaps even out of your comfort zone?  

This week's mantra invites us to bring awareness to our expansion and our growth.  Where awareness grows, energy flows... so we get to notice and name how that feels for us.  By shining a light, we get to expand with all the human realness that comes with it, rather than allowing "unawareness" to become a piece of the resistance or self-sabatogue we could be known for.  

It's a full moon on Wednesday, so this is the perfect time to take inspiration from the full, bright, and beautiful moon.  Feel, stretch, and grow into fullness.

Take a deep inhale and exhale.

Feel the breath expand and contract your rib cage and your lungs.

Say to yourself: I am expanding.  

This is particularly helpful at the beginning of the day or when you are approaching something that feels difficult.  Just take notice.  Feel it to heal it.  Then ground down into your roots and allow yourself to take up glorious space!

This week's mantra :: I AM EXPANDING.  

**Twin Cities Loves!  In following the theme of expansion, I've added another breathwork circle to each month... this time at a space in Minneapolis.  This gives us a chance to come together in community on both the second and fourth Friday of every month to give ourselves some sweet time for breathing and inner emotional work.  I would love to have you whenever you make it!

Midweek Mantra :: Give It Love

"Reinvention is a key to positive change.  Affirm your current self and give yourself permission to turn into anything you know you must be.  Be gentle with others who cannot meet your latest incarnation.  Peace out on the ones who will not entertain the idea that your change is constant."       ~Sarah Gottesdiener

This quote from my Many Moons workbook really resonated with me when I read it this weekend. I had just planned the theme of EXPANSION for my end of April breathwork circle in response to all the shifts and changes I'm feeling in the people around me, including in myself.  Job changes, moves, career shifts, project ideas, graduations, babies, spring goals, lifestyle changes... 

When we take steps to reinventing ourselves and making changes in our lives there's a period of transition between the endings of things and the beginnings of the new shifts.  I know for me, it's really easy to rush over those transitions in efforts to hurry up and get to the next thing out of excitement or the uncomfortable feelings that come up.  When we take a moment, however, to honor our feelings by noticing and naming them, we give ourselves closure from one story as we move into the next story we are creating and version of ourselves we are becoming (without all that extra baggage!).  

This week's mantra is inspired from a line in The Goddess Project film that I saw a few weeks ago with a fabulous group of women friends (totally recommend seeing the film if you get a chance!) where one of the suggestions is placing love in your body in place of something else.  But rather than displacing our valuable and important feelings, we'll acknowledge them with love: 

Take a deep inhale and exhale.

Give your body a little scan to see what emotions are coming up for you around the changes in your life.

Say to yourself: I SEE MY ____________ AND GIVE IT LOVE.

Give this mantra a go at the beginning of your day, at the end of your day, in the middle of your day, or anytime you are feeling a particular feeling coming up.  Here are a few ideas to get you started: 

I SEE MY FEAR AND I GIVE IT LOVE.
I SEE MY RESISTANCE AND I GIVE IT LOVE.
I SEE MY RELIEF AND I GIVE IT LOVE. 
I SEE MY DOUBT AND I GIVE IT LOVE. 
I SEE MY SADNESS, WORRY, ANXIETY, GRIEF AND I GIVE IT LOVE.
I SEE MY EXCITEMENT, ANTICIPATION, DELIGHT AND I GIVE IT LOVE. 

We just had a full moon so this is a perfect time to celebrate your fullness of emotions BY BEING A WITNESS FOR YOURSELF as well as release those feelings that don't need to come with you in the next part of your journey.  Sometimes we need to let go of certain habits, relationships, lifestyle habits in order to really allow ourselves to expand with this spring energy, so honor what comes up when you decide to no longer play small.  And give yourself all the love.  

**Twin Cities tribe, we'll be breathing around this theme of EXPANSION and working through all the emotions and sensations that brings up for us on Friday, April 28th so please join us if this resonates for you! xo

Midweek Mantra :: Inner Guidance

{original image :: repost from @gracesmithtv} 

Giving an energy healing session long distance this week, I was reminded by an important piece of what I do in sessions, in breathwork circles, and in new moon circles: give space for connecting to inner guidance.  My belief is that in "coming home to our bodies" we tap into that innate wisdom and intuitive sense that we each have within us.  

I admit that sometimes it's uncomfortable to be in our bodies because of the life experiences we have had (wounds, trauma, pain, being sensitive) or if we don't really want to hear what our bodies and our guidance has to say (like, something isn't working for us anymore or something in our life has to change - and change is hard!).  And sometimes it is really grounding and blissful and, well, HOME when we are in our bodies.  

The benefits of being at home in your body, however, are worth it.  And the more we pay attention to the little messages we receive from our inner guidance, the more they will come and the more trust we have in follow these cues.  It's like exercising a muscle!

How does your inner guidance speak to you? 

Do you get a gut feeling or a physical sensation in your body?  Are there images or colors or words or phrases or sounds or numbers that come to you?  Is it a song on the radio at the exact right time that gives you the message you need?  Is there a little quiet voice that gives you a little yes or no?   

Take a deep inhale and exhale.

Close your eyes briefly and bring your awareness to the center of your forehead.

Say to yourself: I TUNE IN TO MY INNER GUIDANCE.  

And if you're looking for some help in hearing your wisdom and connecting to your body, I am here for you.  This is what I love to do!  There are a variety of tools to guide you in connecting to your wisdom, so find what resonates for you by practicing with this mantra when you are looking for clarity or centering.  

This week's mantra :: I TUNE IN TO MY INNER GUIDANCE. 

Monday Mantra :: Begin

I'll admit that I am an "on the day" kind of gal.  I like to celebrate my birthday ON THE DAY.  I like to celebrate holidays on the day.  In the past when I'm working on new habits or starting something new, I like to wait til Monday or the first of the month or the start of the year to begin.  

A couple things have started to help me shift this mindset a bit as I'm feeling the rigidness and limitations it puts upon me and my personal growth.  As I began to pay attention and follow the moon cycles, I found that the energy of the new moon (or the Spring Equinox or Winter Solstice!) actually begins a few days before and ends a few days after.  Don't have time to sit and journal or reflect on the ACTUAL new moon?? No problem!  Just do it the next day or the day before in your own timing.  

I've also been in a nutrition and mindset coaching program since last July and the philosophy is 1% better each day.  No, not focusing on "perfection" ("say what?!" exclaims my inner perfectionist!), but just a little better.  Focusing on doing habits, taking small actions, starting fresh EACH DAY, which has increased my quality of life (and my health) a hundred-fold.  

So when I read this phrase, which is our mantra this week, on social media this weekend, my body gave a big ol' YES :: Every day is a fresh start.

How does your body feel when you read that?  Do you get a sense of relief?  Possibility?  Freedom?  

Take a deep inhale and exhale.

Feel your feet on the floor as you straighten your spine long.

Say to yourself :: EVERY DAY IS A FRESH START.

This week also just so happens to be a new moon filled with spring energy, which is perfect for new beginnings, but every day is an opportunity for a new beginning.  I encourage you to do this short and simple meditation each morning when you wake up and perhaps each night before you go to bed.  The perfect bookend to your day as a reminder that you get to choose how to BEGIN and honor YOU in the way you move about your day and about your life.   

This week's mantra :: EVERY DAY IS A FRESH START.