15 Ways to Be more Zen

Amidst all worldwide events unfolding, here are some ways to get in touch with what matters and be more Zen:

1. Review priorities. (What is necessary & what can you let go?)
2. Breathe & act slowly and deliberately
3. Be okay with doing less
4. Immerse regularly in Nature 
5. Designate time for Self-love/ selfcare & service
6. Integrate mindfulness into everyday
7. Face everything with inner calm and peace
8. See everyone as a Buddha/ master/ mentor 
9. Be receptive to shifts in awareness & perception
10. Set a daily intention
11. Create space for negative emotions 
12. Cultivate wise thoughts & spiritual practices
13. Face a something you fear everyday
14. Choose love, note fear (fear= resistance, love =openness) 
15. View everything as a blessing

Benefits of connecting with Nature

Notice getting back to Nature is about connecting with true self. Its about finding ways to 'hang-in-there' feeling ungrounded, and reaching for what brings balance. It dawns that to explore new ventures or activities, even mind-wandering, helps strengthen our ability to clarify what matters now. We each weave a mosaic of our lives. Mindful moments are created wherever we are, come what may. Being ourselves is about living in the present, showing our true colours, nurturing curiosity, living spontaneously, letting go of what we outgrow or what outgrows us, moving on from projects at will, knowing that embracing change is part of acceptance and deepening awareness. Connecting with what is heartfelt is about showing kindness and compassion, knowing that encouraging others is encouraging ourselves. This trains us to grow adept at navigating our thoughts and perceptions. When self-directed, we nourish what resonates, thrive at our pace.

5 Steps to Rise Higher

To shed ourselves of all that is not us, all that is unreal, we are each invited to systematically review and let go of versions of ourselves linked to 5 areas of our lives.  In each area, we are. invited to grow aware of ego-driven thoughts and action and shift into heartfelt state of being.  It is only by doing so that we move through different levels of initiation and consciousness to blossom into who we truly are. Step back and imagine the best version of you emerging from a clean slate with no judgement. Begin with current views on these 5 areas:

1) Money

2) Identity

3) Dreams

4) Reputation

5) Associations

Accelerate transformation

Notice encounters with familliar creatures echo accelerating periods of transformation. Each creature is a timely teacher as each reveals our innate ability to adapt and thrive in shifting environments and energy states. Increasing encounters with wild amphibians and reptiles invite us to pay closer attention to what is going on within us in relation to the bigger picture. To go through a "toad phase" is to see distinct life stages as dots to join, to be aware of veils lifting, to catch up with different versions of oursellves that exist in different timelines or dimensions. Reptiles often shed skins or shells and continue to grow after letting go. Turtles, snakes, and lizards echo the human ability to live through and between states and worlds. It may feel as if you shape-shift like a chameleon or find lots in common with amphibians. We show different versions of being to different people until we align or come into harmony with ourselves. When there is a change in consciousness, there is change in energy, form and perception. We merge with and see One Self mirrored in all things. Side effects that occur in the body and mystical experiences are incidental to what we are doing to live a more authentic life.

3 Tips to settle life's shake-ups

When life seems to get shaken up, familliar ways of living no longer work.  The tendency is to seek external reasons and find ways to settle things back into "normal."  In fact, the only way to respond to shake ups and have any lasting impact, is to address what this tells us about the state of our inner world.  As part of our coaching program, we explore this in detail as well as identify personalized ways forward.  For the purpose of this article, consider these 3 tips:

1. Identify emotional needs

This implies not only identifying needs such as belonging, autonomy, connection and acceptance, but also what prevents us from recognizing and satisfying these needs so we can release resistance.

2. Investigate links to energy anatomy

Every human being has energy anatomy.  This connects coherent mind-body and spirit functions. Each of our energy centres functions individually and together in varied ways. Blockages create congestion and block energy flow. This affects life in the physical world and what perception and experience we access. It pays to explore signs and signals in the body and how this impacts mind-body awareness.

3. Practice Mindfulness

Tuning into life's shake-ups invites practising mindfulness. As we pay closer attention to what is happening within, we begin to see the nature of our projections. To explore components of our emotions, we can practice mindful acceptance of each one.  This involves recognizing and accepting sensations, watching thoughts, labelling feelings and noticing urges as they arise.