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3 tips for keeping your boundaries


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

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Keep It Simple


Sometimes the best way to proceed is to stick to the basics. Nothin’ Fancy Here.

So in a clear effort to keep it simple, let me give you this for thought:

Meditate Every Day + Follow Your Intuition

The Meditate Every Day part of this equation can be as short and easy as a 5 Minute Meditation.

The Follow Your Intuition is as simple as a pause. When you hear that small voice, take a breath and pause for a moment. Listen to it, trust it and give yourself permission to follow it

That’s it. Enjoy!

Best to you,
Kathleen

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3 Ways To Help You Stick With Your Meditation


It ain’t easy doin’ nothin’!

Finding time to stop and sit and “do nothing” can be daunting and at times frustrating, I know. So here are 3 quick and easy things you can do to find meditation time and stick with it.

1. When your meditation doesn’t happen in it’s scheduled time, put it on your “to do” list for the day – it can be quite satisfying to mark that one off afterwards.

2. Break up the time into smaller increments. If you do a 5 Minute Meditation, go ahead and stick with that. If your regular meditation is longer, try a couple of 5-10 minute meditations during different times of the day. Morning, lunch, night time…all good times to stop and take a breather.

3. Set a timer. Sometimes when I remember something I need to do later, I set an alarm on my cell phone so I am sure to do it when I hear the beeping. Right in the middle of things if you hear that alarm going off, it is a good way to take a 5 Minute Meditation break.

Enjoy!

Kathleen

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Sometimes The Best Way To Teach Is To Get Out Of The Way


People often ask me to teach them how to meditate and so I always prefer to give simply the most basic instruction necessary.

In my classes, what I am doing instead of teaching how to meditate is giving you the opportunity to experience it. Holding the space to make it easier or even possible. And I think that counts for a lot.

It happened today when I was leading an Aikido class where a third of the class was made up of black belts who have been training for many years longer than me (talk about intimidating!)

Instead of trying to “teach” them something, I demonstrated a series of familiar techniques and created the opportunity for the experience of vigorous training.

All the students trained according to their own capabilities and the result was a tremendously satisfying class.

Often times when we are in charge of a situation, we feel inclined to instruct to such an extent that our words become a mandate.

This is especially true for me if the person that I am instructing happens to be my teenage daughter. I really really want her to get the information I am giving her so she can learn it already!

But just like the meditation classes and the Aikido class, my best teaching is not teaching at all. It is a thousand times more effective if I give her a few guidelines and hold the space for her to safely experience it on her own.

This is an exceptionally ripe opportunity for paying careful attention to what my intuition is telling me – often it is telling me to Stop Talking!

It can seem unproductive to only give the slightest amount of instruction, but in reality all the words in the world are not nearly as valuable as just doing it.

So maybe you have a situation in your life like that – a child, an employee, a co-worker or a student. Maybe instead of teaching them how to do something, just give them a few choice guidelines and lots and lots of space to safely explore, experiment and experience it for themselves.

Give it a try.

Blessings,
Kathleen

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5 Minutes Sitting At A Stop Light


Every once in a while I miss the light at a huge intersection with many lanes and turn lanes and road construction and just a lot of traffic.

And sometimes, I sit at the traffic light for more than 5 minutes. That is annoying. Do I have extra time in my day to sit at a single traffic light for 5 minutes?

I do not! And yet, not much to be done about it – sometimes it just happens.

What could I do with those 5 minutes if I had not got caught in traffic?

I could watch some extra commercials on TV. Stand in a long line at the grocery store. Look for a parking spot in a busy part of town. Wait for a new software update to download. I could even spend those 5 minutes on the toll bridge plaza!

Hmm, I really don’t have any extra time for those things either, but they seem to creep into my life none-the-less.

So how about it – how about a 5 Minute Meditation. You know which one I am talking about:

Sit down.

Set your cell phone timer for 5 minutes.

Close your eyes.

Breathe.

(pretty simple)

It is a huge gift that you give yourself when you spend a little time in stillness. Getting to a place of stillness is not adding one more thing to your frantic schedule. It is making room for your breath, your well being, yourself. This is putting on your oxygen mask.

Ahhh, that sounds so much better to spend those 5 minutes breathing and bringing a moment of stillness into your life. It will assist you with making clear decisions and help you to be calm and centered.

Maybe it seems like you don’t have time for meditation, but what the heck – give it a try. (It is better than waiting for a traffic light!)

Enjoy.

Kathleen

PS. Go here to get a FREE app for The Meditation Project meditation posts. They are great reminders and inspiration to help out your daily meditation. Created by Anne Grothaus.

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Get A Quickie


Busy? Tired? Harried? Here is a simple way to add a little bit of peace and calm into your life.

The 5 Minute Meditation. If you already meditate every day, it is a good mid-day refresher or a bookmark for those super hectic days. If you are new to meditation, this is a great way to start.Try it now and see how good it feels (and it is super easy!)

xo,
Kathleen

 

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Good Morning Dan!


Good Morning Dan!

This post is for my brother Dan. And for all of us…

Ah, the crazy busy life ~ so much to do, so many places to be, demands, requirements, distractions. So many things that have to get done Right Now!

How am I ever going to get from this spot in front of my computer over to my meditation spot. It is only 2 and half feet away. And yet…

OK, I’m going to do it!

I know it I make it over there and just sit for a minute, I will stay for 5 minutes.
I know if I make it over there and just sit for 5 minutes, I will stay for 10 minutes.
I know that once I settle in for 20 minutes, a full hour is easy.

And then everything is easier, smoother, better.

When I meditate every day, I am more efficient, effective, positive, disciplined, patient.
I am more kind.

Meditate Every Day.

Blessings to you Dan, and to each of us.

Meditate. Every Day.