Every day we are bombarded with a staggering amount of information, pressures and demands. Keeping your boundaries is key to staying grounded and centered.

Here are three quick tips to help you do this.

1. Say No

No to taking on that additional task that you do not have time to do.
No to trying to make sure everything is perfectly perfect.
No to unnecessary meetings.

2. Five Minute Meditation

Nothing says “I am holding my boundaries now” quite like taking time out to give yourself a much needed break. It will refresh you and revitalize it. It is a good way to clear your head and keep your space.

Stop. Sit. Set your cell phone timer for 5 minutes. Close your eyes. Breathe.

3. Have compassion for yourself

Let go of the guilt for saying no or not getting everything done.
Acknowledge and congratulate yourself for what you have accomplished!
Appreciate how amazing and vibrant you are!

Use these simple ideas to hold your space and keep your boundaries. You will have more time and energy for what is truly important to you.

xo,
Kathleen

Five Minute Meditation
3 tips for keeping your boundaries

One afternoon during our spring break I was sitting with a cup of tea on the couch next to my three daughters. They were all reading books and with a couple of blankets over us, we were snuggled and packed together.

One of the girls suggested I get a book too. But I realized that I did not want to pass up the opportunity to be present and relish this delicious moment.

“No thanks,” I told her. “I’m just going to sit here and meditate.”

As I sat in meditation with the girls pressed in around me I simply delighted in the quietness and the sweetness of the moment.

There was truly no need to do anything.

It was a reminder to me that meditation practice does not exist just sitting on a zafu cushion.

Meditation can be right in front of you at any moment of the day. All you have to do is recognize it and take the opportunity when it comes.

You can incorporate meditation through movement, mindfulness and awareness throughout your day in many different ways.

When you notice the chance, take it and enjoy it!

xo,
Kathleen

Finding Every Opportunity

Last week my friend Rachel and I were in charge of over 130 costumes for two performances of the school play, The Wizard of Oz. We spent five months making the costumes and now the time had come for the shows!

I unloaded my minivan of bags and boxes and costumes and accessories and shoes and makeup and props through the back stage door.

The hum, excitement and anticipation of the upcoming day surged upon me like lightning.

As I parked my van and walked back towards the theater, I had a moment of feeling completely overwhelmed.

There was still much to do in preparation for our first show. The children were thrilled, delighted and way too loud for me at just that moment.

I paused and was unable to go inside the door where I knew I was going to be met with questions, demands and jitters from the young actors.

My first thought, “I’ve got to take a Five Minute Meditation break.”

My second thought, “No, that is too long to be gone during this hectic time.”

My third thought, “It will be fine to be gone for 5 minutes.”

My fourth thought, “Rachel needs me now more than ever.”

My fifth thought, “The best thing I can do for her is get myself grounded and fully present for the day.”

My sixth thought, “There is no way a Five Minute Meditation is going to make a difference.”

My seventh thought, “Kathleen, are you kidding?? This is what you tell people to do all the time.

You tell them the busier you are, the more important it is to take a quick break. Five minutes seems like it will not make a difference, but it does.

Stop complaining and stalling and go sit down for a Five Minute Meditation!”

My eighth thought, “OK! I’ll do it!”

I went to the back of my minivan, sat down, set my cell phone timer for five minutes, closed my eyes, and took a luscious, deep, calming breath.

Ahhhh…

Five minutes later the timer went off and I was ready.

And amazed at the complete transformation the Five Minute Meditation brought to me (again!)

When I got back stage to the costume dressing room, I was grounded and calm. Rachel and I were able to completely support each other for the entire day.

The children were wonderful and the shows went on with delightful success.

I know I’ve said it before, but that Five Minute Meditation works! Especially when you need it most.

Believe it. Trust it. Try it today. And let me know how it goes.

xo,
Kathleen

Wizard of Oz

The more often you trust yourself, the deeper that trust becomes.

The more frequently you follow your intuition, the more clear your intuition becomes.

The more you meditate, the easier it becomes.

That’s all.

Take loving care and have compassion for yourself.

With much love and light,
Kathleen

Deep, clear, easy

Good Luck Favors The Prepared

Good luck favors the prepared.

Surely you have heard this saying before. Well it also holds true for intuition.

The ability to follow your intuition will be more favorable if you are prepared.

How can you prepare yourself for intuition?? Isn’t intuition something that just pops up randomly?

Actually, intuition can seem to appear out of nowhere, much like Good Luck.
But in fact there are things you can do to increase the likelihood of it showing up for you when you need it most.

Listen

First, listen to your intuition. (I know this sounds obvious.) In order to follow it, you have to hear it first.

Sometimes your intuition will be a small voice, other times it will be a booming warning sound.

Either way, first listen to it. Acknowledge it. Recognize it.

Trust

Second, trust it. When you hear that intuitive voice inside, there may be a hesitation to trust it.
A slight second guessing within yourself. That’s ok.

Just notice that you have a little tentativeness and move past it. Take a moment to trust your intuition.

If you do that, you build the trust within yourself more readily for the next time.
You are more prepared.

Follow

Third, follow it. Do the thing that is nudging inside of you. Take action and make it happen.
Each time you follow your intuition, it is like working a muscle that gets stronger.

Your intuition increases every time you use it. You are more prepared for it and it will show up for you more frequently, more easily and more favorably.

Every Day

What else can you do to increase your intuition?

Meditate every day. Daily meditation gets you in the habit of taking time to listen deeply to yourself and tapping into your inner wisdom.

Daily meditation cultivates intuition.

Good luck favors the prepared. Deep intuition favors the prepared.

Next time you hear that nudge, little voice or feel that gut instinct, follow it. You will be so glad you did.

Enjoy,
Kathleen

If you like it, share it. Thanks. xo

Get It When You Need It Most

Trust yourself. You have deep wisdom inside that will lead you to exactly the best answer, the best solution, the best course for your life.

Value, celebrate, honor and support your intuitive brilliance!

You know inside what to do. You know the truth. You know the answer.

You know.

And if your intuition and wisdom seem a little bit cloudy or foggy at the moment, don’t worry. That is easy to repair. Just take time every day to listen to the quiet voice inside you.

Listen to it and it will grow. Honor it and it will flourish.

You can hear it when you are in stillness meditation.

You can hear it in the shower.

You can hear it first thing in the morning before the world starts filling your mind with this and that.

You can hear it when you take a quiet walk.

Trust your intuition. Trust your wisdom. Trust your truth.

Trust yourself.

Xo,
Kathleen

If you know these words will be an encouragement for someone else to hear, share it. It might be just the thing they need right now.

Trust Yourself

Transition Into Stillness

In the Women’s Intuition class that I teach on Friday mornings, we always start and finish with a silent 5 Minute Meditation. There are a few reasons for this. The first 5 Minute Meditation is to make a simple and easy silent transition from the busy crazy hectic demands that occurred first thing in the morning on the way to class. It could be traffic, getting kids out the door, early morning meetings, email, conversations or errands. Any thing that happened before the class begins can be a distraction.

And, of course, that is the reality of life. Anything can become a distraction to our meditation and to listening to our intuition. That is the beauty of the first 5 Minute Meditation. Just a short meditation to make a transition into stillness.

So students want to know, “Is there anything I should do during this 5 Minute Meditation?” Nope. Just sit there. “Should I try to clear out all the noise in my head?” No. Just sit and let it all ramble on as much as it wants. Just sit.

Signal To The Body

This transition is a signal to the body that it is time to slow things down. Breathe. Start to settle into a quiet place. After that first 5 Minute Meditation, the class is ready to continue as we learn and practice how to listen deeply to our intuition. Because we took a moment to pause, to stop, to transition towards stillness, now we can better hear our profound inner wisdom.

At the end of our guided meditations, intuitive skills, healing exercises, sharing and learning we finish with another 5 Minute Meditation. This time our rambunctious chatter is gone. We gave it time to make a lot of noise and be wild at the beginning and now it has calmed down.

The 5 Minute Meditation at the end of the class is a time to settle in more deeply. Sometimes it is a time for reflection of the work we did together, sometimes it is a chance to just take the stillness we experienced earlier in the class to a little bit deeper place. Either way, it is quiet and easy and refreshing. And now we are ready for the rest of the adventures in the day ahead.

Powerful Tool

The 5 Minute Meditation is a powerful tool. Explore how it can be utilized for different types of meditation. Transition, stillness, deepening. Or just a break in the middle of the day. Try it out and let me know how it goes.

BTW (by the way) If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area and would like to join the Women’s Intuition class, send me a quick note and I’ll give you some info on it.

xo,
Kathleen

Going from Crazy Hectic to Calm and Still

The Pause

One magical aspect that comes from mediation is the ability to take a longer pause. A longer pause between experience and reaction. That means when someone is irritating or distressing to you, you can have a little bit longer between what just happened and the time that you respond. That pause gives the opportunity to consider a different outcome. Instead of jumping to conclusions, you can listen. Instead of getting angry, you can breathe. Instead of making a rash decision, you can think it through.

You Can Have It Every Single Day

Daily meditation teaches you to pause. Not the kind of teaching where you suddenly realize, “Ah yes, now I must pause.” Rather, this kind of teaching is by simply doing it. Not thinking about it, but actually doing it. Actually pausing. Daily meditation is a chance to put the world on hold, on pause. So many times I have heard people express the wish to press a pause button and just be able to catch their breath. Well, here it is. It is accessible for you, within your grasp, within your control. You get to have it, Every Single Day, if you want it.

Immediate Demands

The pause that comes from meditation is what allows you to be slower to react to situations. You know the ones I am talking about. The various situations that come up a million times a day. Someone makes an immediate demand from you. You are square in the middle of something else and they want their needs met Right Now, damn it! Even if you are working for a demanding boss, you may still need to drop what you are doing to take on a new project, but the pause gives you a moment to let go of the manic energy that has been thrust your way. The pause gives you a chance to make your move from a place of being grounded instead of being off balance.

With The Pause You Have Choices

Your co-worker, spouse, in-law, or a friend makes a comment that gets you completely off guard. Maybe they something that was embarrassing to you, a small mean unkind word. Maybe they accused you or blamed you for something, maybe they insulted you. You might feel humiliated, defensive, angry, indignant. The red light goes on inside.

But instead of reacting, you can pause. Pause. Breathe. Gather yourself up. You can decide as to whether you want to respond, articulate your opinion, make yourself known, object or simply walk away. With the pause, you have choices. And instead of stuffing down your feelings or acting out your impulses, you have a moment of pause. During this time you become empowered with the opportunity for a clear head.

Train Your Body

The Pause comes directly from daily meditation, from taking time to train your body and your mind to pause. The lesson and experience of the pause is visceral and direct. If you practice it through daily meditation, you will experience it in your interactions with others. That pause may be the best thing to save your life in that moment. The practice of meditation is a pause, a deeper sense of awareness. A moment of grace. Meditate Every Day to get The Pause.

Give it a try and let me know how it goes.

Enjoy!
Kathleen

The Magic of The Pause

What to do when Monkey Mind and distractions arise during meditation.

Monkey Mind is that endless chatter that sends you round and round with thoughts that go nowhere.You know what I am talking about:

I have seriously got to make that dentist appointment…

Remember to pick up apples, milk and yogurt at Trader Joe’s on the way home…

Hmmm, maybe if I moved the couch to the other side of the room and put the two chairs…

It can go on and on and on. There is no use trying to stop Monkey Mind, it will only escalate.
Instead see if one of these ideas helps you.

3 Tips You Can Try With Monkey Mind

1. Focus on your breath. When you feel the distractions interrupting your quietness, gently return your awareness back to your breath. No need to change how you are breathing, just take a moment to notice it.
Breathe in…breathe out. Repeat.

2. Imagine your mind to be like a river and each thought that comes up can become a fallen leaf that flows down the river. When a new distracting thought comes into your mind, allow it to become another leaf gently moving down the river, away from your place of stillness. As you practice this, don’t try to force the thoughts to leave, just guide them towards the ever flowing river.

3. Do nothing. Yup, that’s right. Do nothing. Eventually, the thoughts may just spin out and quiet down. Allowing them ramble on a while is a great way to practice letting go of having control of everything that comes up in life. Just sit there and do nothing.

Don’t fight it.

The key thing is to not try to fight it. Distractions are part of life and Monkey Mind is part of any meditation practice. Remember to be compassionate with yourself and your practice.

Daily meditation means that sometimes stillness comes to you right away and other times not at all. Just be present for it and keep at it.

Give it a try and let me know how it goes. If you have some tips for Monkey Mind and distractions in meditation, please share them! We would LOVE to hear what works for you.

Enjoy,
Kathleen

Monkey Mind and Distractions in Meditation

Eventually it will be funny.

There are so many laughable things that happen during life.
Of course they may not be humorous at the time, but eventually they are funny.

I remember my father as a jovial man and raising 10 kids could not be an easy task. (Yup, that’s right, I’m from a family of ten kids. I’m the eighth one.) Although he had to often be stern and serious, you could see under it all he had a twinkle in his eye.

He used to whistle around the house when he came home from work.

Sometimes when one of us got in trouble, he would ask us, “Do you see the humor in this?” Although technically we were supposed to be getting scolded, I always felt as if he, in fact, did see the humor in the situation.

Once when I was a teenager, I snuck out of the house to hang out with a friend. Not much happened. She was a neighbor girl and we ended up just walking around the block a couple of times before we got bored and both went home.

When I came back, I climbed onto the roof to sneak into my bedroom window. But getting up to the window, I found it locked! What? I was in disbelief. How could the window be locked? Did it latch itself when I closed it? No, I was careful to leave it slightly open. Perplexed, my mind raced to figure out how I was going to get back into the locked house.

That is when I heard my dad coming around the corner. “What are you doing up there young lady?!” he bellowed.

No, this can’t be! I was SO busted.

“Get down here right now!” Clearly he heard me sneak out and locked the window before I could get back in undetected.

Shaking like a leaf, I climbed down the roof and with my head hung low, marched into the house. As I made my way up to my room, my father said, “Your punishment will be given to you in the morning.” Then he went into his room and closed the door.

No way. I was tormented imagining all the possible punishments that awaited me. Oh, what a long night this was going to be.

In my bed staring up at the ceiling, the entire house was quiet except for one sound. My dad laughing in the other room.

What? I was incredulous! This was not fair that my suffering was such a source of amusement to him.

But you see, after raising so many kids, this little episode was actually no big deal compared to the antics and trouble he had already seen. I am sure the look on my face and the sharp shocked intake of breath when I realized I had been caught had been very amusing indeed to my dad.

The next morning my punishment was given. To tell you the truth I can’t even remember what it was, but knowing my parents it was probably extra work around the house for a week. I felt embarrassed for my stupidity and kept a low profile for a while.

For years I cringed when I recalled that stomach dropping sensation of getting caught.

And then, of course, one day it was funny.

Long after having moved out, I was sitting around one night with my brothers recalling the various times we had gotten in trouble and how dad always pretended to be more mad than he actually was. We all started laughing at my incident and I could finally see the humor in it.

What seemed like such a big deal at the time turned out to be quite amusing later.

Now it’s my motto and I remind myself as often as necessary: eventually it will be funny.

Feeling like something is just too much right now? Give it some time and you never know, it just might be a delightful source of amusement to you later.

Remember to not take life too seriously and to not take yourself too seriously.

xo,
Kathleen

Do You See The Humor In This