True Balance Life Coaching

Women need real moments of solitude and self-reflection to balance out how much of ourselves we give away. -Barbara De Angelis

Autumn is my favorite time of year in northern Michigan. The air is cool and crisp. Lake Michigan’s black water along with the colorful forest canopy show sure signs of the seasonal shift. My T-shirts and shorts have been replaced with blue jeans and sweatshirts. My senses are filled with the rustic smell of campfires and the sweet crunchy goodness of Honeycrisp apples and warm banana bread.

Right now is the perfect moment to honor your inner cave woman. If you are a man I suspect you are well-versed in cave time. =) You owe it to yourself to sit with all you’ve accomplished personally, professionally and spiritually this year. Give yourself credit for where you are right now. In this moment. Breathe. Pause. Smile. Then you can get your affairs in order for the rest of the year.

The autumnal equinox brings climate change and significant energetic shifts in our routines. Many of us are  supporting our children while they transition back to early mornings, school days, homework and extra curricular activities. Business picks up this time of year and holiday preparations are just around the bend. All of this change can contribute to anxiety and stress.

Here are a few ideas to help you remain centered and peaceful.

Allow for Rich and Meaningful Alone Time

How much time do you allow for quiet contemplation? Reading? Perhaps soaking up the sweetness of an afternoon nap? As you move toward the winter months in the Midwest and Northeast, creating spaciousness in your calendar is a recipe for life-balance. If you are like me you will go stark raving mad without some cave-time to recharge and be still.

Change Things up in Your Environment

Is your environment a bit stale? Often the simple act of rearranging your office space or living space will give you an energetic pick-me-up. It’s fun to move pictures, furniture and prized possessions to new locations. Invigorate your senses with a new candle or incense. I love simmering mulling spices this time of year.

Declare How You Want the Rest of the Year to Unfold

With a little more than 3 months left in 2011, it’s time to contemplate how you’d like your life to unfold before the holidays.  Which projects, experiences, ideas will you explore? I recommend making time to write or key-in a declaration of sorts. How do you wish the rest of 2011 to play out? Dreaming and planning your road-map alleviates stress and 11th hour decision making.

Alone time, environmental shifts and directional declarations will support you during times of change. You deserve to carve out some time for yourself. No excuses. Honoring your inner cave woman begins now.

Solitude is the salt of personhood. It brings out the authentic flavor of every experience. -May Sarton

I hope this post finds you happy, healthy and enjoying the holiday season.

Thank you for allowing me into your world to share thoughts about life coaching, love and the pursuit of true balance. I am honored by your support, kindness and participation.

I hope you will enjoy this recording highlighting easy suggestions about how you can reduce stress and regain balance this time of year.  You CAN learn how to relax and unwind during the Holiday season.

Click on the link below to join me for what is sure to be a nice oasis from the holiday hustle.

Reduce Stress and Regain Balance This Holiday Season

“Trying to push away our emotional distress can throw us into “cognitive shock” that turns our mind into a muddle.”

- Ezra Bayda

I recently read a great article by Ezra Bayda and simply had to share it with you.

The message in this piece is that it is absolutely fundamental for us to realize that difficult situations and feelings are our opportunity to awaken into a more genuine way of being.  No matter how much we try to avoid things that are unpleasant, we simply must experience the darkness in order to live in the light.

Here are five  questions to cut through anxiety and emotional distress and help you remove your self-imposed prison walls and move forward on your path of clarity.

When your energy is dark and frantic,  ask yourself five key questions:

1. What is going on Right Now?

- Honestly acknowledge the situation you are experiencing. Define your experience from a place of greater height. How does the situation look if you gently rise up above it, changing your perspective by looking at the issue from a macro point of view.

2. Can I see this as My Path?

-Difficult situations help us see our true path and how we can help ourselves and others. Will this experience inform your future? How can you use life’s letdowns as a guide or path to understanding?

3. What is my most Believed Thought

- Take a snapshot of your mind and uncover your deep-seated beliefs. What thoughts continue to surface for you?  Ezra describes this as taking a snapshot of your mind. This inquiry will help you uncover limiting thoughts that you may have been carrying around for years.

4. What is This?

- Be still and ask the question, What is this? Then notice how you feel. Check in with your physical being; face, chest, stomach, posture.  When I find myself triggered, I notice a tightness of breath and a heightened skin-crawling electrical current. Fight or fight kicks in gear. Thankfully, I am learning how to be with the emotion and witness my physical energy.

5. Can I let this Experience Just Be?

- It’s more painful to try to push what you are feeling away to comfort yourself than it is to BE with the experience, learn from the experience and let it pass. This is the quickest way to release the hook of the trigger.

Ezra reminds us that these questions are just pointers to help us understand the bigger picture and uncover the core of our self-imposed anger, fear and confusion.

• How have learned to release the hook of an emotional trigger?

• Do you have a story about being with your discomfort? What happened?

Read the entire article in the July issue of Shambhala Sun.