This weekend is Thanksgiving here in Canada. At this time of year many of us think about the things that we have to be grateful for as part of giving thanks to the universe. It is so important to take time to do this. Feeling and expressing gratitude has health benefits both physical and psychological, not to mention spiritual.

Whether you live in a rural, suburban or urban setting, it is important that we all have our own breathing spaces. They nourish our souls, fill up our hearts, and make us feel whole again. It is vital to take time to enjoy them regularly and make them part of our routine. Find something that can be your own breathing space.

As we’re into the fall season in the northern hemisphere, the weather is changing and we don’t want to become sick with colds and flu, which it is easier to do when we are run down and exhausted. Self-care is vitally important in these months to protect our physical, emotional, and spiritual health so that we remain healthy, especially leading up to the winter. Self-care also can play a role in the joy and celebration that can come in honouring each season and help us to re-connect with ourselves and the earth and universe. And then when we are with our loved ones we can be more fully present for them.  Read on for five self-care tips for the fall season. 

I help people use mindfulness and creativity to reconnect with their inner essence, manage stress, find their "flow", and be better able to be fully present when they are with their loved ones. This can help everyone but my offerings are especially geared towards busy career women who want to replenish their wells and avoid burn out. SO…in a bizarre twist, I found myself at risk of burnout myself when I began commuting 4 to 5 hours daily to work a day job in another city. I did this for one year until August this summer when I started a new day job in the city that I live in (thank you universe!). Needless to say I spent the past year exhausted, and sometimes even feeling like a fraud.

Mindfulness is an important tool to have in your toolkit for many reasons and with many widely known benefits. One use and benefit of mindfulness is its impact on relationships. When it comes to relationships, mindfulness is an important tool for you to be able to use.

Celebrating the seasons of the year helps us to deepen our connection with the universe and earth and in doing so, to deepen our connection with ourselves. By reconnecting with our inner core essence and the earth, we are able to be more fully present for our loved ones when we are with them, better manage stress, and have an increased sense of well-being.

Having a beginner’s mindset is beneficial for a number of reasons. When you are looking at things with a beginners mindset then you can learn more than if you are in thinking in the “I’m already an expert mode”.  You pay more attention than if you think you already know everything about that topic.

Spring is a time of renewal and rejuvenation for all of earth. Not only the trees, plants and nature, but us as well. We feel the miracle of spiritual transformation even if we do nothing, the simple fact that it is spring gives our souls nourishment and renews us. We can help the process along by taking some simple actions.

When we can’t sit still to meditate….

When I am asked: What do I do when I want to meditate but I can’t sit still with (or without) my thoughts for more than a few minutes?

My answer is:…

My number one tip for this is to schedule it in and stick to your routine. If you just have a vague idea that at some point you will get something done, it probably won't get done anytime soon. By making an appointment with yourself, and writing it down in your calendar, appointment book, or entering it into your phone or scheduling system, you are more likely to stick to it and actually accomplish it.