Savor: Self Care Menu

Musing…

Menu for rituals of self-care:

·REST
includes relaxation practices, naps, unplugging

“Rest and be thankful” – William Wadsworth

·REFLECTION
includes journaling, gratitude, imagining

“People who have had little self-reflection live life in a huge reality blind-spot.”- Bryant McGill

·MOVEMENT 
includes stretching, yoga, walking, dance

“All creative activity begins with movement.” – Joseph Zinker

·COMMUNION
includes being in nature, being with friends/loved ones, tuning in for inner guidance, prayer

“The beauty of the trees,
 the softness of the air,
 the fragrance of the grass,
 speaks to me." - Chief Dan George

Meditation fits into every category, as it can be rest based, reflection based, movement based or communion based.

Charise’s Turn:

The original aim of the content for this post was a magazine article. The editor requested I write 60 words on the subject of rituals for self-care. 60 words is succinct, and it may be easier to drone on about self-care then keep it tidy, but as I sat on the porch facing the mountains of the George Washington National Forest in West Virginia, four distinct categories of self-care came to mind. I wrote, submitted (minus the quotes by others), and was accepted for publication with one stipulation – a photo of a certain pixel size needed to accompany the article. Try as I may, my photo did not meet their technical specifications and the entire article was thrown out. I told them this was unreasonable and they called me entitled. Suddenly I was in an unhealthy relationship, a dispute going nowhere, so I let it go. I’m getting back on track with the essence of the endeavor – what I know about self-care. Sharing this here allows me to savor all over again the inspiration I received while resting in nature, keeping an open channel to muse.  

Get Fired Up:

Find your avenues of self-care, borrow from my list if you like, take care of your self. You will be rewarded on so many levels – in your health, your work life, your relationships, your creativity.

www.coachingmoves.com

Savor: Gratitude

Musing…

"… Love plus the combination of thanks and appreciation [is] reflected in the English word gratitude. Just one of these is not enough. Love needs to be based in gratitude, and gratitude needs to be based in love. These two words together create the most important vibration."   –Masaru Emoto

Gratitude helps you savor life’s positive experiences. When you take the time to appreciate the beauty and joy in your life, however small, you’ll give power to those small moments—and be able to enjoy even more satisfaction from them. As you enjoy the benefits yourself, you also send a gift out to your world.

Kate’s Turn:

You may be familiar with Emoto’s work with water crystals, and the effect thoughts and words have on their appearance. Dr. Masaru Emoto, a powerful Japanese healer and researcher, is well known for performing studies on the impact of water in terms of the overall health and the improvement of health in humans. Emoto believed that water was a "blueprint for our reality" and that emotional "energies" and "vibrations" could change the physical structure of water. Emoto's water crystal experiments consisted of exposing water in glasses to different words, pictures or music, and then freezing and examining the aesthetic properties of the resulting crystals with microscopic photography. Over time, there have been experiments with astounding results showing how thoughts can actually have an impact on the crystalline structure of water that has been frozen. So, basically speaking, positive or negative thoughts can actually change the way that water freezes. When you introduce various sounds to water such as music, negative sounds or even spoken words, the crystal structure of the ice as it freezes will vary depending on the sound that is introduced. Findings over the course of various experiments began to show that beautiful patterns would form in freezing water that was introduced to beautiful sounds. Clear, tranquil springs that were paired with loving words would actually produce breathtaking snowflake patterns as the crystalline structures formed. (Wikipedia referenced)

 

Emoto, who died just a month ago, believed that gratitude is a gift of love . . . it is what love returns to the world, as a symbol of appreciation for life, for being, for NOW. Emoto also felt that the "Love and Gratitude" water crystal is the most beautiful of all, for it exemplifies our highest nature, as Divine Creators. You can view some of his images at www.masaruemoto.org.

Stacy Robyn, inspired by his work, started a website (www.gogratitude.com) to promote gratitude, to have these positive frequencies ripple out into the world as waves of gratitude. As I savor the beauty of the frost patterns on my windows when the sun shines through them, and knowing we are 70% water, I want to hold the energies of “Love and Gratitude” for my health and the good of all…my savoring can serve others too….I love that!

"We must begin by learning what it means to have enough… to feel gratitude for having been born on a planet so rich in nature, and gratitude for the water that makes our life possible. If you open your eyes you will see that the world is full of so much that deserves our gratitude – when you have become the embodiment of gratitude, think about how pure the water that fills your body will be. When this happens you, yourself, will be a beautiful shining crystal of light."    -Masaru Emoto (1943 – 2014)

Get Fired Up:

Savor some moments of satisfaction, happiness, ecstasy…in Love and Gratitude.

This is the season to embody Gratitude and Love – life is a reason to become your beautiful shining crystal of light.

www.kroskalifecoaching.com