How often – if ever – do you eat mindfully with full awareness?

These days, many of us are busy reading email, texting, or consuming blog posts while we eat.  Multi-tasking at meals is not beneficial for optimal digestion.  It also makes our life feel stressed and crammed and diminishes the richness to be experienced in each moment.

For those of us who have forgotten, this is an exquisite primer in eating with awareness:

“What does it mean to eat a tangerine with awareness? When you are eating the tangerine, you are aware that you are eating the tangerine. You fully experience its lovely fragrance and sweet taste. When you peel the tangerine, you know that you are peeling the tangerine; when you remove a slice and put it in your mouth, you know that you are removing a slice and putting it in your mouth; when you experience the lovely fragrance and sweet taste of the tangerine, you are aware that you are experiencing the lovely fragrance and sweet taste of the tangerine. The tangerine Nandabala offered me had nine sections. I ate each morsel in awareness and saw how precious and wonderful it was.

I did not forget the tangerine, and thus the tangerine became something very real to me. If the tangerine is real, the person eating it is real.  That is what it means to eat a tangerine in awareness…..

The path I have found is the path of living each hour of the day in awareness, mind and body always dwelling in the present moment. The opposite is to live in forgetfulness. If we live in forgetfulness, we do not know that we are alive. We do not fully experience life because our mind and body are not dwelling in the here and now.

- from Old Path, White Clouds, by Thich Nhat Hanh

I can almost smell and taste the tangerine just reading this exquisite description!

Do you eat with awareness?  If not, give it a try and let us know what it was like in the comments.

Thank you for reading!  With love, Sandra

~

“The future depends on what we do in the present.”

“Whenever you are confronted with an opponent, conquer him with love.”

“To see the all-pervading Spirit of Truth, one must be able to love the meanest of all creation as oneself.”

“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold or silver.”

“Prayer is not an old woman’s idle amusement. Properly understood and applied, it is the most potent instrument of action.”

“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”

“A man is but the product of his thoughts, what he thinks, he becomes.”

“A religion that takes no account of practical affairs and does not help to solve them is no religion.”

“There is more to life than increasing its speed.”

“They cannot take away our self-respect if we do not give it to them.”

“My life is my message.”

A Western journalist asked, “Mr. Gandhi, you have been working fifteen hours a day for fifty years. Don’t you think you should take a vacation?” Gandhi smiled and replied, “I am always on vacation.”

As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world – that is the myth of the atomic age – as in being able to remake ourselves.”

“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.”

“The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problem.”

“If I had no sense of humor, I would long ago have committed suicide.”

“Nobody can hurt me without my permission.”

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”

“An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind.”

“An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.”

“I do not want to foresee the future. I am concerned with taking care of the present. God has given me no control over the moment following.”

“I claim to be a simple individual liable to err like any other fellow mortal. I own, however, that I have humility enough to confess my errors and to retrace my steps.”

“It is unwise to be too sure of one’s own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err.”

“I look only to the good qualities of men. Not being faultless myself, I won’t presume to probe into the faults of others.”

“Man becomes great exactly in the degree in which he works for the welfare of his fellow-men.”

“I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people.”

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”

“Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well.”

”Constant development is the law of life, and a man who always tries to maintain his dogmas in order to appear consistent drives himself into a false position.”

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

“In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in a clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness. Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth.”

Image: pinkiwinkitinki’s photostream

Biographical source: Wikipedia

Naturally, I’ll keep you posted as I get closer to the actual move.  I appreciate your readership and hope you will re-subscribe to Always Well Within once we’ve moved.

In the meantime, my Custom Design and No Ads Upgrade are up for renewal in a matter of days to the tune of $60 for the year.

I’m letting these two upgrades expire.  I’ll actually save money as I have a chance to receive free hosting.

In the meantime, while I’m still on WordPress.com, this means:

1. If you see ads on my blog, they were placed there by WordPress.com not me.  Did you know that WordPress.com places ads on your blog?  You’re not able to see them when you are logged in so you may never know.
2. I’m searching for an acceptable blog theme to use during the interim since I won’t be able to tinker with the fonts and design without the Custom Design Upgrade.

Blog Theme Preferences

I’m particular when it comes to blog themes!  Actually, I’m a fanatic about my preferences.  I’ve moved away from the Twenty Eleven theme, which has some wonderful qualities, because I don’t life the sans serif font and gigantic header.

These are the key qualities I look for in a blog theme, although there are many other subtle considerations:

• Beautiful typography and readability.  I far prefer serif fonts, which are usually elegant and said to be more readable.
• An elegant, minimalist design, although I might occasionally go to the wild side.
• A writing column width of around 600 px.  Mostly because this width displays pictures in all three standard sizes well.
• Bottom widgets to escape the endless scrolling feature and a right sidebar.

At first, I  settled into the Chateau theme.  Although it has a nice touch of elegance, it can look just a little cluttered with the tags on the side.  I’m not keen on the sans serif font nor this theme’s writing column width.    And what’s with the three-sided box around quotes though?  That seems like strange feng-shui.  Chateau has a certain beauty and I admire it on other blogs.  But it’s not quite right for me.

I’ve also played with AutoFocus, which gets an A+ for a highly readable, serif font. The end part of the post is a bit messy though. I don’t love the arrows so close to the side of the post, but I understand their purpose.  It took awhile to realize that the sidebar is only allowed on pages, not on posts, which contain “meta” data instead.  That cuts it out of the running.

I love the font (on the edge of too small though) and readability of Origin, but the blog title is SO ugly and breaks up into two lines if it’s not really, really short.  I could probably live with the orange link color for a temporary period, but wouldn’t it be nice to have the full spectrum of color options, which seems to be the standard these days?  The featured images look very cool, but it’s also a pain to remove them if you move to a blog without featured images.

Inspired by the beauty of Kojiki’s flower blog, I ended up with the Sundance theme.  I immediately made the background white.  I love the typography of Sundance (Droid Serif) and – when I arrived there – came to realize exactly how much I value elegant type.  This feels like home for now.  It’s simple and uncluttered.  Maybe too simple for some, but perfect for me.  I’m not keen on the teal accent color, but I can live with it.  I’ll need to change my gravatar soon so you won’t be looking at my mug next to the start of each post!

Overall, I’ve had an excellent experience on WordPress.com.  The support has been very good.  But all blogging platforms have limitations and I’m ready for more freedom.  The recent change in the WordPress.com comment policy, the institution of endless scrolling, and – the latest – automatic sign up to be notified of new comments when you leave a comment on a blog are like straws adding up to break the camel’s back.  I can work around the minor issues, but it bothers me that some of my favorite people have trouble leaving comments on my blog.

I just wanted to let you know what’s in the works.  It’s possible I may try on different themes in the next week, but I think I’m quite satisfied with Sundance for now.

Let me know what you like and don’t like!  Are you a theme fanatic too?

Recently, I received a card called “A Star Is Born”, which said:

“Envision:
How have your thoughts and imaginations shaped your surroundings?
Take the time to create your own reality on the inner planes, first.
Observe
Intend
Visualize
Trust you can manifest your intentions.
Let go.”

I immediately thought:  “Why would I want to manifest something other than this perfect present moment in which my karma is unfolding seamlessly before my eyes?  This karma – the fruit of my past actions – if understood correctly – is replete with boundless insight and potential for transformation.”

Isn’t it human nature to always want something different than what is?

Will I trample this moment and attach to creating something I perceive as better, more suitable, and more to my liking?  As soon as I begin wanting something different – improved health, more security, the dissolution of pain, a new gadget, the perfect house, or anything else – I’ve entered into the realm of attachment and grasping, the very source of suffering.  I’m living in the future or motivated by the past.  I’m living on the fuel of hope and fear.

Wouldn’t it be exhilarating to be completely free of hope and fear, attachment and aversion?

Letting Go

In his book The Great Path of Awakening, the great spiritual teacher Jamgon Kongtrul suggests an entirely different approach to living:  letting go.  He shares this aspiration:

“If it’s better for me to be ill,
I pray for the blessing of illness.
If it’s better for me to recover,
I pray for the blessing of recovery.
If it’s better for me to die,
I pray for the blessing of death.”

Surrender.  Be fully present in this moment.  Isn’t that the ultimate freedom?

Creating Goodness in this Moment

At the same time, we are creators.  If you want to have a happy life, it pays to act judiciously.  Because, as the Buddha said,

“We are what we think.
All that we are arises with our thoughts.
With our thoughts we make the world.
Speak or act with an impure mind,
And trouble will follow you
As the wheel follows the ox that draws the cart.
We are what we think.
All that we are arises with our thoughts.
With our thoughts we make the world.
Speak or act with a pure mind, And happiness will follow you
As your shadow, unshakeable.”

Everything depends upon how you perceive.  It’s the mind that’s in charge.  Words and actions merely follow suit.  Whatever you think, say, or do has an impact on your own mind and well-being.  And it impacts others as well.

Are You in Charge of Your Mind?

But are you in charge of your mind?  Or is it like a rambunctious monkey leaping from one thought or emotion to the next?

The secret to a positive future is creating goodness in thoughts, words, and deeds in the here and now.  It’s not about hankering after something different or better like a new car or idealized partner.  The great spiritual masters of the past remind us:

“Wealth, possessions, health, happiness and popularity are all the efforts of past positive actions.  If you have accumulated positive actions in the past, all these things will come to you naturally as a result, whether you want them or not.  But without those positive actions, no amount of effort will ever get what you want.  All you will get is what you want least. So when you practice dharma [the spiritual path], rely on the inexhaustible wealth of whatever comes.”

- from The Words of My Perfect Teacher by Patrul Rinpoche

The key to a happy future is practicing goodness right now.

That requires getting hold of your mind in a gentle, humorous, and spacious fashion.  Slowing down and carefully choosing thoughts, words, and actions.  Practicing patience, commitment, and presence.

As your karma unfolds, you are simultaneously creating your future.  It’s not a question of either or.

“If you want to know your past life, look into your present condition;  if you want to know your future life, look at your present actions.” – Padmasambhava

This doesn’t mean I disagree with the Visions Oracle.  I agree our thoughts are very powerful, indeed.  My mind is sometimes like a wild monkey too.  But I know that taming this mind is the essence of transformation.  So, each day I practice – as best I can – creating goodness in this moment – for this moment and the future – while I respect the karma that unfolds simultaneously before me.

Are you a fan of manifesting or unfolding?  What future are you creating through your intentions and actions today?

Image:  ©Omra Fochtamn-Kubby – Omra Art

[Note:  I appreciate your comments! If you have trouble commenting due to the new WordPress.com commenting policy here’s the secret:  use a fake email along with your real name and blog url.  Then you will receive a link back to your blog from your name.]

If you enjoyed this article, may I ask you to share the link with others on your favorite social media sites?  And, I would love to connect with you on Google+ or the Always Well Within Facebook Page  With love, Sandra

Would you like to change, but don’t know how? Or maybe you have felt frustrated by roadblocks you’ve met on the way.

In Saying Yes to Change, Alex shows us how to successfully face our self-defeating patterns and personal demons and replace them with love, joy, confidence, and faith.  It’s a simple yet complete road map.

However, Saying Yes to Change does not offer superficial “quick-fix” methods.  Alex has tasted the ups and downs on the road of transformation.  So you can count on him for a seasoned and mature perspective.

At the same time you will feel encouraged.  As I read along, I had a vivid sense that Alex was right there with me, offering a loving hand, understanding heart, sound advice, and a manageable, systematic approach.  His sage advice can help you transform life-long emotional habits and even heal your deepest wounds.

Healing Our Deepest Pain

Change did not come easily for Alex.  He lived in a state of deep pain for the lion’s share of his life.  Low self esteem, shame, feelings of unworthiness, unhappiness, and anger all bubbled briskly beneath his exterior efforts to succeed in life.  The kind of stuff most people want to hide, push aside, or forget until its almost too late.

Over focused on himself and fixated on getting ahead, Alex ultimately met his own version of personal disaster.  It took hitting bottom to wake-up.  With nowhere to turn, Alex was forced to take an honest look at himself and begin to slowly Say Yes to Change.

Now, committed to helping others, Alex has funneled all his hard-earned wisdom and practical insight into this essential guide for embracing change and becoming the person you are truly meant to be.  There is a sense of clarity, optimism, encouragement, hope, and empowerment that exudes from the pages of this book.  I hope you will taste these qualities in my interview with Alex.

Interview:  Alex Blackwell on Saying Yes to Change

Sandra:  Alex, one of the underlying messages of your book is that, “You cannot change or heal what you do not acknowledge.” At the same time, you note that many of us live predominantly on automatic, driven by unconscious messages and patterns implanted very early in our life. We may not even be aware of the force behind our actions or even fully recognize our suffering.

Do we have to wait until disaster strikes to wake up and change? What suggestions do you have for an “early warning system”, for recognizing the turbulence that lies below the surface of our mind before it blows up in our face?

Alex:  Powerful question Sandra, thank you for asking it.

I don’t believe we need to wait for disaster to strike. There’s a better choice – paying attention to our inner voice, our inner wisdom along the way. When we feel the nudge to become aware of our actions or surroundings, we need to listen.

For example, when our “gut” tells us we need to spend more time with our loves ones, find a new job or leave a relationship, it’s usually right. By ignoring what we know to be true, the situation can cascade out of control until facing a disaster is inevitable. But by responding to the messages our inner voice is sending, and then responding appropriately, we can take better advantage of our “early warning system.”

Sandra:  In the chapter Live Beyond Your Skin, you advise us to, “Allow love to happen naturally. If it goes away, don’t grasp it so tightly as to damage its spirit.” I’m personally exploring the idea of “healthy” attachment. I would love to hear your thoughts on healthy attachment. What does it look like? How can we love fully but in a “non-sticky” way?

Alex:  Sandra, I only have my 27-year marriage on which to base my answer, so here goes…

Mary Beth and I encourage each other to live a full, rich live outside of our marriage. I have my writing and blog and she has her therapeutic counseling practice. We kiss goodbye early in the morning and on some days we don’t reunite until 9 or 9:30 last night. But when we do, we listen attentively to one other and then enjoy the moments we have left in the day.

Simply put, we have personal goals while at the same time having goals for our marriage. We are two people who have made the conscious choice to share a life that isn’t necessarily dependent on what we do as individuals.

Sandra:  The level of vulnerability you express throughout your book seems challenging for most of us, but especially uncommon for men. Do you have a special message you would like to share for men in particular as to how accessing one’s vulnerability can enhance and empower their lives? How can they counter the conditioning they’ve received to avoid showing vulnerability?

Alex:  It’s about being real.

To your point, most men (and I resist stereotypes, so apologies in advance) believe the best approach is not to show emotions; real strength is to remain stoic, some men believe.

But I would suggest there’s a cost for keeping our feelings inside. It keeps others from seeing who we really are and what we need. By being vulnerable we are being real; and when we are authentic, others are more likely to draw closer to us. Our relationships improve and a sense of happiness grows.

The first step is to unclench the firm grasp you have on your heart by lifting up one finger. Allow someone to touch your heart. If that feels comfortable and safe, then remove another finger and so on until your heart is being shared freely.

In your interview with Zeenat Syal, you said that writing this book was far easier for you than promoting it. Do you have any tips for us in how to engage in marketing and promotion in an authentic and heart-centered way as opposed to a hardcore approach with the usual hype and pressure?

Alex:  For me it’s about staying within myself and not doing something that isn’t aligned with my core values, or brand.

For example, I’ve been approached by a Joint Venture company that told me they would send an email about my book to thousands of email recipients if I sent emails to my subscriber list on products they promote. I couldn’t do this because I’ve never used, or intended to use, any of these products.

So, I will keep spreading my book’s message organically and by kind, supportive bloggers like you Sandra!

Sandra:  You describe your blog, The Bridgemaker, as “an honestly written lifestyle blog dedicated to relying on faith, sharing the amazing power of love, and walking the simple paths to positive change.” As a successful blogger and mentor for bloggers and writers, can you share a few of your most important secrets for growing a popular blog with integrity?

Alex:  Sandra, these three tips come to mind:

1. Write about what you know, and then write with passion.
2. Do something every day that will grow your blog: write a post, share content on social media, leave a comment on another blog, submit a guest post, etc.
3. Never give up. Blogging is a journey. Be sure to connect with like-minded people who want to share the journey with you and them motivate and encourage each other to keep going!

Sandra:  Where can people find your book?
Alex:  You can buy Saying Yes to Change: 10 Timeless Life Lessons for Creating Positive Change through Amazon. You have three options:

• Download the Amazon Kindle Edition right now. Did you know you don’t need a Kindle to read the Kindle version? You can use your computer, iPad, iPhone or other mobile device – just select your preferred delivery method in the right-hand sidebar on the Amazon page.
• Order the paperback edition.
• Grab the Nook Book on Barnes&Noble.com.

Sandra:  Thank you, Alex.  I thoroughly enjoyed reading your book.  Most importantly, I was impressed with the clear, accessible, and step-by-step presentation.  Saying Yes to Change is a book I can recommend without hesitation.

Win a Free Copy of Saying Yes to Change: 10 Timeless Life Lessons for Creating Positive Change

Alex has generously offered a complimentary copy of his book “Saying Yes to Change!” to be given away to one of the readers here at Always Well Within.  To participate, leave a comment telling us about how you have said yes to change no later than Saturday, May 5th.

Are you reading by email? Just click here so you can leave a comment, and take part in this wonderful giveaway!

[Note:  If you have trouble commenting due to the new WordPress.com commenting policy here’s the secret:  use a fake email along with your real name and blog url.  Then you will receive a link back to your blog from your name.  Thanks for your patience.]

If you enjoyed this article, may I ask you to share the link with others on your favorite social media sites?  And, I would love to connect with you on Google+ or the Always Well Within Facebook Page  With love, Sandra

 Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love. – Rumi

Most of my life, I have cringed at the idea of discipline. I’ve thought of it as something that infringes on my freedom, specifically my creative freedom. Just hearing someone suggest that I make it a habit to go to bed the same time each night makes me cringe as I imagine lost opportunities of night owl creative energy spurts.

But in the past few years, I’m learning that discipline — in the right spirit — can be truly liberating.

One way that discipline manifests is as a vow. The dictionary defines “vow” as a solemn promise, often made to God. For many of us it’s an old-fashioned word that has little relevance outside of marriage (and how many couples stay true to those vows?) or a courtroom.

A few years ago, during an emotionally painful period of my life, I had a strange experience that involved vows.

Out of the blue, a series of sentences kept repeating in my head. The words didn’t come from my own cognition or will but rather it felt like I was channeling them from some unknown source. They were at once familiar and yet completely foreign to me. I had no idea what to do with them. Perhaps this is what Moses felt like when God dropped the Ten Commandments on him with a thud!

The message was so strong and insistent that I picked up a pen and wrote it down:

• As one who walks the path of the Buddha, I vow to nourish myself so that I can nourish others, to cultivate loving kindness and alleviate suffering for all beings, including myself.
• As one who walks the path of the Buddha, I honor and respect the rhythms of my body and the earth. I vow to make time to stop, reflect, and renew myself in attunement with every breath, every hour, every day, every week, each month, and each season. I take shelter in the rainy season to sit in deep retreat with my sangha [community].
• As one who walks the path of the Buddha, I vow to tread gently on the earth and carry nothing extra.

After getting the words down on paper, I took some time to reflect on what meaning they might hold for me.

The phrase that started out all three sections, “As one who walks the path of the Buddha,” made some sense since at that point I’d been a meditator and student of Buddhism for a number of years. It had an almost biblical feel to it, like an invocation that reminded me of the power my spiritual path held for me.

The focus of the first vow on nourishment and loving kindness was a reminder that I needed to include myself in the field of compassion that I aspire to send out to the world.

The second vow called on me to create regular times of rest and reflection in my life, to not get so carried away by the needs of others that I become burned out in the process.

And the third seemed to point to a way to live mindfully on the earth. On further reflection, I realized it worked on a metaphorical level as well. I was being invited to lighten my psychic load along with my physical load.

The more I sat with each of these vows, the more they resonated with deep needs inside of me that I wasn’t even aware I had.

Over the past few years I have said these vows to myself at the start of every day, following my morning meditation period.

This practice of creating, reciting, and remembering these vows has changed my life in subtle but powerful ways. They continually help me to realign my compass toward my inner truth, to stay in my center rather than reacting to what’s coming at me.

I’ve learned that vows aren’t about someone else telling us what to do. They are discipline that comes from the inside out. This is the kind of discipline that can free us to be true to our deepest values.

Vows are really promises or agreements that we make with ourselves. The “five agreements” from Toltec teacher Don Miguel Ruiz are one inspiring example of this kind of personal vow.

My vows came to me in the form of an intuitive gift and were framed in the context of my spiritual practice. But you certainly don’t need to have some wild kind of channeling experience or be a Buddhist in order to create your own set of personal vows and make it a daily practice to commit yourself to them.

Your vows may not necessarily even be in verbal form. If you practice yoga, for example, it might be that your deepest intention – meeting whatever comes to you during your day with openness and love – is embodied in the Sun Salutation pose.

What matters is that whatever you discern to be your vows, you hold these with a conscious intention every day.

Here are some questions to help guide your process of creating your own vows:

• What is most important to me right now?
• What is missing from my life that would truly nourish me?
• What energy would I like to call into my life?
• What promises do I need to make to myself in order to live life to the fullest?
• What is my unique contribution and commitment to making the world a better place?

I would love to hear your reaction to the idea of vows.  Have you ever taken a personal vow?  What was your experience?

[Note:  If you have trouble commenting due to the new WordPress.com commenting policy here’s the secret:  use a fake email along with your real name and blog url.  Then you will receive a link back to your blog from your name.  Thanks for your patience.]

***

Maia Duerr is the creator and curator of The Liberated Life Project.

A writer, anthropologist, and Buddhist chaplain, Maia is committed to supporting people on their journeys toward true freedom, from the inside out.

If you enjoyed this article, may I ask you to share the link with others on your favorite social media sites?  And, I would love to connect with you on Google+ or the Always Well Within Facebook Page  With love, Sandra

If I want to be heard, I need to hear myself.

If I want to feel connected, I need to connect with myself.

Do you see yourself?  Hear yourself?  Connect with your self?

***

[This is part of my series of compelling questions for personal reflection. ]

If you liked this reflection, please share the link with others.  And I would love to connect with you on Google+ or the Always Well Within Facebook Page.  With love, Sandra

In fact, you may be at risk for unnecessary treatment, ineffective drugs, and even premature death when you see an allopathic medical doctor or spend time in a hospital:

Consider these eye-opening statistics:

• “It’s estimated that 2.5 million unnecessary surgeries are performed each year, with hysterectomies, heart bypass grafts, lower back surgery, and angioplasty leading the list. Just two procedures alone, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) — known in the trade as cabbage — and balloon angioplasty cost $100 billion annually. With long waiting lists for CABG, you’d think it was vital for prolonging the lifespan of heart patients, but that’s a mistake. Current statistics suggest that about 3% of bypass surgeries extend life expectancy, with angioplasty scoring even lower at zero percent.” -  The Huffington Post
• “The vast majority of drugs – more than 90 per cent – only work in 30 or 50 per cent of the people.  I wouldn’t say that most drugs don’t work. I would say that most drugs work in 30 to 50 per cent of people. Drugs out there on the market work, but they don’t work in everybody.” – Allan Roses, Senior Executive, GlaxoSmithKline Drug Company
• “250,000 deaths per year are caused by medical errors, making this the third-largest cause of death in the U.S., following heart disease and cancer.” – Dr. Barbara Starfield of the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health reported in The Journal of the American Medical Association

Is there an alternative?

Many people are turning to ancient healing arts as an alternative or complement to Western medicine.  And scientific research is beginning to validate the efficacy of alternative treatments for a wide range of health concerns and disorders.

For example, the University of Maryland School of Medicine offers a Complimentary Medicine Index that details nutrition, dietary, and alternative treatments for a wide variety of ailments based on the latest scientific research.

Last weekend, I attended a free course given by Family Nurse Practitioner Rachel Allen to learn a gentle hands-on healing technique called Reiki.  Reiki is simple to learn.  It can be practiced as a form of self-healing or as a healing modality you can share with your family and friends.  Reiki reduces stress, enhances relaxation and facilitates the flow of your “life force energy” – call “ki” in Japanse, “chi” in Chinese, and “prana” in Sanskrit.

After a Reiki session, people typically report greater feelings of relaxation, peace, security and wellbeing.   Reiki has been said to be of help in treating almost every known illness.  Some have seen miraculous results.  It is a safe approach with the only side effect being relaxation.

Reiki originated in Japan.  The Japanese symbol for the word “Reiki” has two parts.  “Rei” means “God’s Wisdom or the Higher Power”.  “Ki” means “life force energy.”  Thus, the healing art involves tapping into a higher healing force and allow it to flow through you to heal yourself or others.

While it might sound “woo-woo”, one medical doctor and a handful of nurses were present at the seminar in addition to ordinary people like you and me.  Reiki is gradually be introduced into some hospital settings.

Reiki is not generally offered for free.  However, you can learn Level 1 Reiki at a low cost.  Then you will be able to regularly give yourself healing treatments at no further cost.  And, if you wish, you can share healing treatments with family and friends.

At times, modern medicine may be exactly what you need.  But it’s not the only course of treatment open to you.  If you are interested in taking greater responsibility for your health and wellness, there are many options available.  Reiki is a simple and safe way to relax, nourish yourself, and support your well-being.

Do you receive or practice alternative or complimentary treatments?  What approaches have worked for you?

• For more information on Reiki:  The International Center for Reiki Training
• Image:  Rachel Allen, founder of One Holistic Place, giving a Reiki Treatment.

Please note that I am not a doctor, health practitioner, or psychotherapist.  Nothing on this blog should be construed as medical advice.  Please seek appropriate medical advice for any health concerns you may have.

If you enjoyed this article, please share the link with others.  And, I would love to connect with you on Google+ or the Always Well Within Facebook Page   With love, Sandra

Chances are, when you take a stab at it, you’ll find the thoughts coming fast and furious like a steep waterfall.  Alternatively, your mind may be dull so you just fall fast asleep.

In either case, it may seem hopeless and you may just want to give up.  But with the right help, learning to meditate can be far easier.

Some people will tell you that there’s no wrong way to meditation.  That’s simply not true.  There are best practices, so to speak, helpful tips, and even lesser known secrets that will make it far easier for you to quiet your mind and learn to maintain your awareness. Thus, it’s smart to work with an experienced teacher who can show you the shortcuts and help you avoid the pitfalls.

This is exactly the type of hands-on mentoring you will receive in the upcoming What Meditation Really Is online course, which is a guided introduction to basic meditation.  Here are the details.

What Meditation Really Is

May 2 – June 13, 2012 (6 sessions)

“This course offers an introduction to methods of meditation practice that are simple, yet powerful and profound. These methods can be practiced by anyone and are extremely effective for bringing inner strength, peace, compassion and understanding into your life.”

Curious?  Learn more about the What Meditation Really Is online meditation course.

[P. S. For the sake of transparency, this course is facilitated by my husband.]

And celebrate, of course!  Very few blogs make it past the six month mark.  I’m almost as old as the Minimalist Woman!

Thanks to you – my extraordinary readers at Always Well Within – there’s a purpose to my words!

When I starting blogging, I lived within a small, cozy blog cocoon.  “Thrilled” described my response to having even a few visitors to my blog.  A single comment brought sublime joy.  My intention was to share, serve, and be of help.  As naive as it may sound, I had no notion of “professional blogging” and felt no pressure to get ahead in the blogosphere.

Blogging Year One:  Obsession and Addiction

But that was bound to change!  timethief, a favorite blogging mentor, often spoke about the place of social media in blog promotion.  There are more than 72 million WordPress sites alone in this world and that’s just one part of the action.  The chances of someone finding your blog is akin to finding a needle in a haystack.  Hence, social media as one “essential” aspect of blog marketing…if your wish is to have readers.

Somewhat an introvert, I strongly resisted.  I clung to the notion that “content is king” and didn’t put my toe into the swirling online social stream until 4 or 5 months into blogging.  In retrospect, it was senseless not to start right in.

The result of social media engagement was two-fold.  In the early days, I made fast friends with amazing people like Zeenat Syal, Tess Marshall, Robin Easton, Annabel Candy, and many other incredible spirits.  I felt so much enjoyment and nourishment from my new social media engagement.

But, I also got sucked into the whirlwind of blog marketing seduction, the endless stream of alluring posts, courses, webinars and the like on how to grow your blog bigger and bigger and bigger.  I went from an innocent beginner to obsessed and stressed in no time at all.

“Post three times a week, post everyday, guest post like mad, comment on 25 blogs a day, put the right elements above the fold, create snazzy headlines… “  There’s truly no end to blogging activity unless you draw the line yourself.

Not only that, blogging and social media can be chemically addictive!  The “likes” and the “stat spikes” can trigger your brain’s reward system, unconsciously making you want more and more validation.  Until suddenly you find yourself sneaking a peek online at all times of the day or night.  Blogging addiction is a contagious disease that descends upon many first-year bloggers.  Fortunately, blog obsession can be reversed.

Blogging Year Two:  Gaining Sanity and Perspective

Just one problem – for me – when it comes to blog marketing.  I’m not good at following the rules.  I don’t like to shine apples.  I’m adverse to hardcore marketing.  So I was caught in a constant state of ambivalence, feeling angst the whole time.

Now, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being a professional blogger, selling products on your blog, following sound advice on blogging better, or wanting to be a successful blogger.  And, I’m not implying that insincerity is part of the blog success formula.  There are many genuine, heart-centered bloggers that go for the gusto precisely because they care.  As Zeenat Syal unabashedly says in her heart-centered blogging series,

“If you are a writer or a blogger or both, there is the constant need to be able to put your thoughts into the best possible words. You want your writing to be impactful, to be helpful,  to be understood and of course you want it to spread far and wide. In other words GROWTH is what we are aiming for.”

At the same time, it’s reassuring to know that there are even famous bloggers that do it wrong relentlessly.

But here’s a secret:  my ambivalence goes beyond blogging.  As one friend recently put it, it’s like my feet have wings.  There’s a deeply rooted ambivalence about treading on this earth, not uncommon among highly sensitive people.  But I am activley getting my feet firmly planted on the ground!

But first, year two was all about regaining my sanity around blogging, allowing myself to blog at my “level”, and finding my own blogging path.    As part of the process, I took a week-long digital sabbatical.  This question bubbled up:

“It’s easy to fritter away one’s limited and, thus, precious time captivated by social media and the illusion that we are being of help.  Are we really helpful or is it just ego’s game?”

After the digital reprieve,  I devoted a month to simplifying and realigning my digital engagement.  The Step-by-Step Guide to Overcoming Digital Overwhelm was born.
My sanity more or less recovered, I take blogging far less seriously and blog with greater ease.

Blogging Year Three:  Waiting to unfold!

What will year three hold for Always Well Within?

As life is constantly unfolding in new and unsuspected ways, I don’t truly know!  But it might be time to get over my ambivalence…

These are some of the thoughts, urges, and possibilities that have been rising up of late:

1.  I’m more aligned than ever with the intent of Always Well Within:  to help my dedicated readers discover greater happiness and freedom.

2.  I’m enchanted with being “true”.

“All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence you know.” – Ernest Hemingway,  A Moveable Feast

“One true word” may be one motto for my third year blogging.  These words are actually part of Hemingway’s advice on how to get started when you have writer’s block.  This is not my challenge, but the idea of being “true” speaks to me.

3.  What does being “true” mean? 

There’s always an element of untruthfulness in each of us because we live, to some degree, in delusion.  As we gradually strip the delusion away, we become more and more true.  “True” to me means staying aligned with my heart’s purpose and writing from my core rather than being motivated primarily by externals.

I write spontaneously.  Sometimes, I’m compelled to create a piece that may seem formulaic, but it helps and inspires me in the moment so I think it might help you too.  Then there are times when my writing tends to be esoteric.  My knees shake and I wonder if people will disconnect.  Or I write about dead birds, not your most alluring of topics.  My writing is likely to continue as this eclectic mix.  At the same time, I care about meeting your needs.

4.  I don’t want to contribute [too much] to information overload.

People are literally drowning in information, which is now a “product”.  They often don’t know what to do – there are so many options – or who to trust.  Ironically, there’s no time to apply all this online advice because they are so busy reading or writing more.

I believe in the power of balance and stillness.  To gain more “traffic”, the strategic advice is to post shorter blog pieces every day.  But, I would like to see a world that enjoys the quiet in-between spaces and want to be part of creating that.  At the same time, I realize each person is responsible for discovering their own information comfort level.

Some of the best bloggers – Gail Brenner, for instance – post in-depth pieces once a week.  This is the style that I prefer to short daily posts, as I find the volume of the latter overwhelming.  Generally, my style is to write longer, in-depth blog posts, but sometimes I write succinctly too.  I will probably be posting once a week and sometimes add an inspiration piece mid-week.

5.  I’ve enjoyed blogging on WordPress.com but it may slowly be time for a change.

Blogging on WordPress.com is easy, the support is good, and new readers are funneled in your direction.  But a hosted platform has limitations.

The new WordPress.com comment policy makes it difficult for some people to comment.   Then there was the unannounced implementation of infinite scrolling.

So I’m contemplating moving Always Well Within to a self-hosted format some time this year.  That’s a huge step as it means losing all the Google juice I’ve built-up over the past two years.  It involves asking people to resubscribe to the new site, which typically means a good number of readers melt away.  But, perhaps the recent hiccups are signs that it’s time for a fresh start and greater freedom,

6.  Then there’s this little part of life called making a living:  Envision Writing

I’m delighted to announce my new writing site:  Envision Writing.  I’m a seasoned professional freelance writer who specializes in creating compelling content for individuals (professionals, solopreneurs, creatives) non-profits, and small businesses.

Please take a look at Envision Writing.  Check out my writing services, portfolio, and testimonials.  I would be delighted to have you as a reader there too.  Yes, I plan to also blog there.  Am I crazy to attempt two blogs?  We’ll find out.

Know someone who needs a writer? Please consider sending them my way.

Thank You!

The urge to be a writer began in my childhood.  Although I’ve taken detours, writing has almost always been part of my life.  Now, as one of my blog readers, you’ve given even more meaning and purpose to my weaving with words.

Thank you for being here quietly in the background or actively commenting, voicing your unique insights.  Thank you for sharing my posts on your favorite social media sites and spreading the word about Always Well Within.  Thank you for encouraging me and sticking with me.  Your presence makes all the difference in the world.  I’m committed to continuing to write valuable content for you.

What Would You Like to See on Always Well Within?

The whole point of Always Well Within is to help you improve your life, transform troubling emotions, and find a greater sense of ease and happiness.   How can I focus my articles to be of more help to you?

• What would you like me to write about? 
• What would you like to see more of on Always Well Within in the coming year? 
• What would you like to see less of on Always Well Within in the coming year?
  

I would love to hear your thoughts…as long as they don’t involve video blogging!  Feel free to share your blogging lessons too.  If you have trouble commenting due to the new WordPress.com commenting policy here’s the secret:  use your real name, blog url, and a fake email.  This way you will still receive a link back to your blog.

I see life as a profound healing journey.  I’m so glad you are traveling along with me.

This year, when I can pull myself away from writing for you, I’ll be making time to feel the grass under my feet, bathe my shoulders in the sun, listen to the nightly coqui symphony, and remember:  it’s all a quickly passing dream.

If you enjoyed this article, may I ask you to share the link with others on your favorite social media sites?  And, I would love to connect with you on Google+ or the Always Well Within Facebook Page  With love, Sandra