Coming home

I went to a workshop this week with a wonderful woman, Mavis Karn. Mavis sees a deeper, simpler truth about life that is both refreshing and inspiring. 

The workshop was about remaining calm in the midst of chaos. When the world seems so fraught, and fractious, it can be overwhelming at times and difficult to feel safe and secure. The same is true for our more immediate surroundings. When kids are suddenly at home, or work is demanding and tense, or when we found ourselves surrounded by family over the holidays. Life can feel like it gets too much and the thought of finding peace and calm in the midst of all that noise and disruption can feel impossible, maybe even selfish. 

One thing that has really struck a chord this week is the idea of coming home. I have been traveling a lot these past two months. Two weeks in the UK were followed by two weeks in LA. We had a week at home and then my in-laws arrived for a two-week stay. We took them to Miami for a few days. They left just after Thanksgiving and on Monday life returned to some form of normality for the first time in 2 months. And it felt amazing. It felt like coming home both literally and spiritually. It was just me, Dave, and Pickle (our 9lb Shih Tzu poodle) and it was calm, peaceful, and warm. We snuggled under blankets in our Lazy-Boy chairs and watched Showtime!  

There is a parallel here for how we occupy our minds, how we connect to our experience. Work, travel, family, friends, running a home, we get so busy sometimes that we end up riding a constant train of thought. Jumping from one idea, or task, to the next. We sit in front of the TV at night lost in our thoughts of work the next day, or preparing the kids for school in the morning, or scrolling through our phones. We live with so much distraction that it's rare we come home to ourselves.  

When we are lost in our thinking, we are not present to ourselves or those around us. Who can relate to that experience of someone talking to you and you are not really listening? You might be thinking about what they are saying, but really you are hearing your own thoughts, not the words or feelings the other person is imparting. At worst you might be thinking about something else entirely. I catch myself doing that when I am watching TV. We watched Billion’s last night and I couldn’t tell you what happened, I was so lost in my thoughts, trying to work out what to write about in my newsletter ;-) 

The more thinking we do, the more inside our own experience we are, the less connected we are to ourselves and the world around us. 

Consciousness is being present in this moment. It's stepping back from yourself, stepping back from being in the experience of your thoughts, to observing yourself. Where you are, what you are doing, and most importantly, who you are being. It’s really being present to what is happening right now, at this moment. 

When we are calm and present, when we come home to ourselves, we start to notice what those around us need. We start to feel more connected and more appreciative of life and all that we have.

So if you do nothing else this weekend, just take a few moments to pause. Maybe close your eyes, take a few slow and steady breaths and come home to yourself. Feel your deeper, spiritual self, occupying your physical body. Connect with that deeper self. Don't worry if your thought machine is still spewing out a narrative, just observe it for what it is, just passing thoughts.  

Coming home is giving yourself a break from your busy thinking. We are at our best and do our best when we are in this quiet state of mind. 

So make a calm quiet state of mind your home and see how often you can return there because that is where security, comfort, peace, and wisdom reside. That is where all the answers you are seeking come from.

Welcome home.

Check out the poem below which really speaks to this sense of being at one with yourself.

Are you ready to invest in a new way of being?

One on one Coaching Programs

I offer one on one coaching programs, tailored to meet your specific needs.

What is on offer to my clients is an opportunity to find comfort, stability, and security within yourself. To connect to a deeper grounding of who you are, one that is unshakable by work, and life.

Through our time together you will learn the value of slowing down, of being grounded in who you really are. This is a powerful place to show up in the world, to lead yourself and others.

When you are connected to your wiser self, you know that success doesn’t come from a lot of stress and pressure. You begin to appreciate how the opposite is true. Success comes from making deep connections with those around you, from being in the moment, and learning how to listen to your wiser, common sense self, rather than your frantic, intellectual mind.

I offer 3 and 6-month coaching programs. I don’t charge crazy prices, so if you are ready to make an investment in yourself, one that you will see a return on for the rest of your life, then get in touch for a chat and we can explore if we are a fit.

The Restorative Collective - Coming soon.

The Restorative Collective’s mission is to create a confidential space for women to explore what they want out of life and have support in being reminded how strong, powerful, and capable they already are.

It’s a place to restore, recharge and rejuvenate. Together we combine our experiences and energy to support each other in finding and taking our next step. It will be a mix of group coaching, as well as a mastermind where we share ideas, and support each other’s progress.

It is powerful when we share our experiences with others because it shows us we are not on our own.

The collective will be free to the first 3 women who sign up and will take place the first and third Wednesday of every month at 8 am EST. Sessions will start in the new year and once the first three spots are taken.

The regular charge will be $45 a month.

At One with Your Body

A poem by Steve Taylor

Lie down in silence.

Uncenter yourself from your restless mind.

Let your attention spread slowly through your body.

Feel your skeleton and skin, until you are one with them.

Feel the gentle breathing of your lungs

and the beating of your heart

and the flowing of your blood

until your attention merges with them.

Rest inside your body.

Let your limbs lie loose without pressure to move.

Let your face lie expressionless, without agitation.

Let your eyes and ears be dormant

without reaching out to perceive the world.

And when you are at one with your body

you can also be at one with your mind.

As your breathing slows down, your thoughts will

slow down too.

As your body lies still, your mind will become still

as well.

(After all, mind and body aren’t separate entities.

They’re telepathically attuned, like twins

who feel each other’s pain and joy.)

And when your whole being is at rest

you’ll sense a subtle spiritual essence

glowing softly like evening sunlight

through every atom of your limbs and veins and skin

and through the endless radiant space of your

consciousness

from a source beyond both body and mind.