Self Care 101 - Life Cycles

Paying attention to the cycles in our lives is one way to practice self-care. It's through paying attention and honoring them (cycles), that we are able to give our bodies what they are wanting and asking for.

I had confessed to one of my cousins that I had been in a major contraction (I'm still swinging in and out ) since I turned in my latest project to my editor. (I like the word contraction better than depression, as it sounds a little more romantic, if pain can be romantic.) This is a cycle of resting and introspection. When it's not understood, it can be misconstrued as something that needs fixing. (Certainly there is validity  in looking at cycles from all angles.) I'm speaking about my personal experience. 

I had been riding an amazing wave of energy for the past two weeks. It felt very much like surfing a really big wave and even Hanging Ten! Everything just kept flowing effortlessly on all of my projects.

As soon as I turned my latest project into my editor, it felt like I had a wipe out! Major! Face first, off the nose of the board, now tumbling in the sand! What I've been able to recognize is this is a pattern or a cycle for me.  I'm trying to learn how to just BE in it, not fixing it or glossing over where I am and what I'm feeling. 

I was happy to experience a raise in my energy while teaching a drumming class at a local retirement community. I know that changing the energy range that we are vibrating to can either raise or lower our energy levels. (mood) But what actually amazed me was that simply by being in the vibration of the drums and music my frame of mind drastically changed for the better. I had coffee with a colleague and said, "I'm actually here today, able to talk to you because I went to drumming class yesterday!  

I continue to watch as the cycles in my life unfold, trying to honor each one, but sometimes....it's just about dancing/drumming/singing/playing and surfing! 

Self-Care 101 - Balance

Coming to the end of my personal Self-Care 101 Intensive, I had planned a short trip to Vancouver, WA, to visit my daughter and son-in-law who had just purchased their first house, before heading back to AZ. (3 full days)

I found myself in awe of the fact that I could be in Huntington Beach, CA for lunch and then sipping margaritas  in a little Mexican Cabana alongside the Columbia River for Happy Hour with my daughter. 

It was my son-in-law who modeled for me what balance in all areas of life can look like. While I quickly reverted back to my workaholic nature, I was able to see that you can have/do it all, when you practice balance. 

My daughter and my projects were to dig up one side of the front yard, redesign, dig new expanded borders (a mirror for their lives, (expansion) buy and plant new plants; mow, edge, trim all existing plants and bushes and oh yes, pressure wash/stain the front deck. Seemed easy enough! 

Oh yeah, we had also planned energetic face-lifts and massages/energy work for each other! LOL....

Balance: Here's what I saw working first hand. While I got up straight away each morning and went right to work on my projects, which I continued working all the way through the day until dinner, otherwise known as beer-thirty!  (Except when the ice cream truck, a lady in her mini van with a freezer on the passenger seat came by each afternoon.) Now my amazing son-in-law would wake up, have a little bite of something left over from the night before, while he was running his bath.  (He makes some kind of special concoction that he soaks in for an hour minimum, each day while he reads his book.) He then does a project or two, stops and takes the dog to the park/play in the water and even goes to their boat  in-between, he still gets 'work' done! Amazing! Now for the hard work: Practice! 

Self Care 101 - Fourth of July at Huntington Beach

As an outside visitor, the 4th of July seems to be one of the biggest events of the year here at Huntington Beach. 

For the past week, I watched as houses, bikes and golf carts started decorating in preparation for the festivities, beginning with a parade down Main Street. 

About 6:30AM, I went for a walk to the pier. I was amazed that there was no parking on the streets anywhere and at the beach, all of the fire pits were taken. On the pier, there were chairs lined up along one side (something new, I understand), for fireworks spectators. Heading down Main St, in front of all of the store fronts, people had used chalk to reserve areas for their families and friends in the parking slots.  Further down, in the residential area, others had used caution tape and stakes to define their areas and there wasn't an empty space anywhere. 

I decided to go to yoga this am and it was fun watching all the decorated bikes heading down to the parade. Parents, children, wagons, anything to make the long walk easier. Everything and everyone was decorated, including the dogs! On my way back from yoga, everyone was leaving the parade. People, People everywhere! 

Being a visitor in town, what I knew is that  I did NOT want to be where all of the people were going to be! My daughter had flown in for the day to be with her friend and so I went A...W...A...Y...from downtown and had breakfast and watched a movie with them. 

By early evening, everyone around town had spent the day partying and it became a bit dangerous just riding your bike. I felt a little sad, missing all of the activities, but I found out that doing what I do best on the holidays is still good for me....sleep! No phone calls, texts or emails to answer, as everyone is having fun with their families and friends. Hey wait! I didn't miss ALL of the activities, I have a 3rd floor sun deck which gave me a 360 degree view of ALL of the fireworks! Happy 4th! 

I hope you had a wonderful holiday however you celebrated! 

Self Care 101 - Try Again - Never Give Up

Dang it! I have to say that I need to try again... with my eating, with my exercise and balancing work projects. In my recent writings I have used the A...G...A...I...N, quite a bit and so I went to  the dictionary for clarity. Once more, another time, in addition, frequent repetition, often.

I liked this picture of the little boy trying to tie his shoes. It reminded me that when we're learning something new, it takes many tries to perfect it, whatever 'it' is!

For me, right now, it's self-care and balance. I spent the weekend balancing some parts of my life and sliding back in others. (I'll spare you the boring details:) I'll just say that I'm never going to give up and I'm going to begin...A...G...A...I...N, yet once A....G....A....I...N!

Self Care 101 - Saying YES

In the Movie, Yes Man, Jim Carey's character had gotten stuck in his ways, saying No to all opportunities that came his way. After being challenged by a friend to attend a YES seminar, he made a covenant with himself to say Yes to all opportunities that presented themselves to him. (This is only good for a period of time. If we're used to saying No to everything, I found that to learn balance, I had to do the opposite for awhile and begin saying Yes to everything. Eventually, I could then check in with myself and ask the question, "Is this a Yes or a No?") Today the lesson in self care was with a younger friend whom I had met nearly 10 years ago when my hair dresser turned my hair brown! Heart attack for me! I came to the beach and was introduced to her and she gave me my blonde back! Whewww, that was close!~ Don't be messing with a blonde's.....blonde!!!!

On my visit this trip she explained to me that she had begun to start saying Yes to opportunities that presented themselves to her. She and I did a couple of really fun things because she said Yes to some new adventures and I said Yes to taking time away from my work.

We went kayaking in the bay, rode bikes along the beach to watch her husband surf, and then to breakfast downtown Huntington Beach. Saying Yes is so much for fun than staying stuck in BORING! Hey, I'm even doing some work too!:)

Self Care 101 -California Dreamin' OC Animal Pet Fair - Balance

My sister volunteers one day a week at the animal shelter in Orange, Ca, along with being a foster home for cats. I go to the shelter and visit her when I'm in town, helping her with any projects she's involved with. Each time, I scour the dog kennels, looking to see if anyone wants to come home with me. (Not at all sure if I want the responsibility and commitment.)

This time, there was a little fella, shitzu mix who we rescued. (The newest staff member of ETL) By the way, he's looking for his name.... (Of course the old saying, Who rescued who? I have been wanting a certified therapy dog since I saw a Youtube about Baxter, The Certified Therapy Dog. This Happy little guy will fit the bill. When I went to his cage and put my hand underneath, he rested his head in the palm of my hand...Ahhhhh. In the new Evolve to Live Playshops that we're creating, he will become a healing component.

So for one of the shelter's major events, I wanted to , 1. spend time with my sister and niece supporting what is important to them, 2. give back for my little doggie and 3. I was expecting to have FUN! Which I did all three. I had an ETL project that I was working on that I had wanted to complete, but knew that I needed a pretty solid block of time to devote to it and so I felt free to take the day off and play with my sister and nieces. (Balance)

Also in practicing balance, (truthfully, just not wanting to miss out on fun things to eat) I consciously (yeah right) chose to eat things not on my cleanse....like....hot dogs, homemade cupcakes and donuts...OMG!!! Consciously, I chose this, well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it! There's always tomorrow to try A...G...A...I...N!