When life presents unexpected events and daunting challenges we can sometimes be at a loss as to how to proceed. It doesn’t feel right to continue to live as we always have, and events may be so disruptive, we can’t anyway. Suffering through hard times, whether externally imposed or internally developed, often depends upon finding a new way to manage our lives and this, at a time, ironically, when we feel particularly vulnerable and unsure.

Yet, from the darkness of suffering many things may come to light. A deepening sense of compassion and a strong feeling of immediacy may come to bear, as described by Joan Halifax. We may discover previously unknown depths from which we pull up new strength. Insight into our own behaviors and understanding about our priorities may come into sharp relief. And in order to grow from these times rather than be defeated by them, many of us turn inward to find refuge from “the shore of our not-knowing,” from our spirits. These can be times that grow our souls in profound ways that deepen our connection to life and nurture a more mature understanding of our nature as soulful beings.

There are many ways to nurture our souls once we put our bodies, minds and spirits to it. One way to grant yourself and those you care about the gift of precious moments of reflection is with the Soul e-Gift Basket from Going SOULo. This most entertaining e-Gift Basket is filled with delightful music, inspirational quotes and interactive activities that will provide helpful information and ideas on how to nurture yourself and those you care about through challenging days. Some call it a “spa for the soul.”

The Soul e-Gift Basket features a beautiful song called “A Song From Your Soul,” performed by Grammy award winning vocalist Patti Austin. Because the song comes as a download, you can come back to enjoy it over and over again. To learn more about this e-Gift Basket, go to onlinegiftbasket.org. While you’re there, check out the other products, including CDs, books, journals, DVDs and spa products that can further your soulful connection and support the spiritual journeys of those you love.

Another way to deepen your soulful connection is to start a journal where you can record your inner most thoughts and feelings and give voice to your soul. Create a special journal just for your soul expression and experiment here with the easiest, freest and happiest ways to express yourself. There is no censoring here and there are no rules in this journal – other than the ones you create for yourself. Take some risks – author a poem, draw a picture, create a collage, and doodle in a soulful way – whatever connects you with a sense of inner calm and stillness. In her book “The Artist’s Way,” Julia Cameron advises soul-seekers to start each day with the practice of filling up three pages of a journal with free writing about your thoughts and feelings, as a warm up and check in with your inner world before the day takes you off. See if that works for you!

And another strategy to try is one developed by noted author Wayne Dyer who reminds us to repeat this statement: “My life is bigger than I am.” Take this statement and post it all around you – in your car, in your home, and in your office. Repeat it often. The “I” in this statement refers to your ego, fed by all the physical, material, emotional, psychological and personal worlds that comprise our daily lives. Your inner life, however, is fed by the soul and the life force flowing through you, if you only get out of its way.

As Dwyer reminds us “the I that identifies you is a fleeting snippet.” Let this handy phrase become your mantra. The more you frame your life as an adventure to grow your soul, the less widely you’ll tilt with the inevitable ups and down of life. Every day offers a new opportunity to practice soulfulness and to deepen your connection to life. And don’t forget to breathe along the way!

Peace,
Laurie

During challenging times like these, you might consider an age-old stress management technique called meditation to reduce your level of stress. Meditation comes from the Latin and Greek words for “thought” or “care” and has come to refer to the process of quiet thought, reflection or contemplation. Meditation has been popular for over 3,000 years in the East and within the last 40 years has become more widespread in the West.

Mediation is a simple, fail-proof way to empty the conscious mind through any number of techniques to transcend the rush of daily mental chit-chat, and open yourself to a deeper, quieter level of awareness. Some forms of meditation produce a greater feeling of calm and a reduced level of physical and mental stress. These techniques include transcendental meditation, the relaxation response and many progressive breathing exercises. Another class of meditation disciplines focuses more on changing the fundamental attitude that causes you to experience an event as stressful. Before deciding which technique works best for you, however, it is useful to understand where your stress comes from and begin to recognize the triggers that lead to those sweaty palms!

When you give yourself or someone you care about the Fear and Courage e-Gift Basket you’ll have a chance to try a simple diagnostic that can help determine what’s causing your stress as well as review lots of practical ideas and tips to deal effectively with it. Take a moment to preview the e-Gift Basket before you make a purchase for yourself or consider sending it to someone you care about who may need a little lift right now. Check out some of the other great products developed to support your stress work, like CDs, DVDs, journals, and spa products.

This e-gift basket also offers a stirring music video that highlights some of the issues that are raising the level of anxiety right now in the society at-large, as well as a collection of inspirational quotes with beautiful, calming imagery and pictures. Amy Keys, a wonderful singer with a powerful voice, sings a beautiful ballad called “Scared,” which really brings the emotionality of today’s struggles into focus. This evocative ballad speaks to the stress many of us are feeling now as we live through this time of heightened fear and anxiety.  It can be downloaded right from the e-gift basket so you can listen to it over and over, and feel reassured by its positive message. 

Dealing with fear and anxiety will require your using a bunch of different tools to help cope effectively with the events in your life. So, try lots of approaches and techniques, some of which you’ll find in the e-Gift Basket. You also might try one of any number of effective meditation techniques, including Tibetan mindfulness, the Zen koan, whirling in a circle, or practicing “choice-less awareness.” Pick a technique that appeals to you and that you believe you can practice regularly, and once you start, discover how cool you can feel, even in the heat of a crisis. Try this Loving Kindness Meditation for starters. Good luck and remember to breathe!

Peace,

Laurie

“Loving kindness” Meditation Activity
This “loving kindness” meditation will take you about 10 minutes.

1. Find a comfortable, straight-back chair in a quiet spot, away from a lot of activity.

2. Place your feet firmly on the floor and put your hands in your lap, either clasped or resting one of each thigh. Make sure your head is level and relax your face and jaw.

3. While remaining alert, gently close your eyes. Take a long deep breath in, hold it for a moment, and then gently release it with a slow sigh. With one more deep breath, release any remaining tension you may feel in your body.

4. While in this relaxed, yet alert state, bring to mind any act of kindness that you have recently performed. It could be something significant or as minor as holding open a door for someone. Allow yourself to recall how you felt when you were performing this act.

5. Notice sensations of warmth and opening, particularly in your heart and chest area. Experience these sensations fully.

6. Slowly repeat to yourself the following phrases: “May I be happy. May I have ease of being.” Relax and repeat each phrase until you feel a deep sense of release.

7. Now substitute the “I” for “all beings”- “May all beings be happy. May all beings have a sense of ease.” Relax and allow these phrases to resonate deeply within you. Repeat these phrases over and over while remaining relaxed and alert.

8. Allow any other thoughts that you may have to melt away as you return your awareness to these phrases. Continue the meditation for 10 minutes.

9. Then slowly take one final deep breath and open your eyes. Allow time to re-enter activity, light and noise.

During stressful time like these we could all use a touch of grace in our lives. In the strictest sense, grace refers to something good that happens to us spontaneously or “unearned.” Truth is, though, we can open our hearts and minds to the power of grace every day in order to feel more at peace with ourselves. 

You may recognize the presence of grace when you become aware of an ineffable feeling of guidance and support that mysteriously shapes your experiences. For instance, you may turn a corner and see that person you’ve been meaning to connect with, or you may be reminded of someone you love by the shape of the head of that stranger in the taxicab in front of you, or you may have one door close to you only to realize another, more helpful one has opened. 

These moments occur often and regularly in our lives, and if we’re mindful, we can begin to track them and invite their graceful effects into our lives, along with a deep feeling of calm.

One way to explore the quality of grace in your life is with the SOULo Grace e-Gift Basket.  It is a perfect gift to give to yourself or to another who could use a little grace in her life today. This wonderfully creative e-gift basket was inspired by a song called “The Grace of God,” which was composed by Grammy award winning artist Patti Austin. Patti was watching an episode of “Oprah” about a woman who was savagely wounded in a shooting rampage by her husband that left her face horribly disfigured. Inspired by the grace and grit of this heroine, Patti rushed to the piano and wrote this memorable song in one sitting.

In addition to this anthem of soulfulness, the e-Gift Basket contains a variety of ways to affirm the presence of grace in your life. For more information on the SOULo Grace e-Gift Basket, go to onlinegiftbasket.com. There, you’ll find other products, such as books, CDs, DVDs and spa products that will support grace in your life, too.

Another way to invite grace into your life is to work through an artistic medium, such as drawing or painting, to transcend words and access your subconscious, symbolic mind that can provide innate understanding and deep quiet.

A recent study released by the National Endowment for the Arts said that although audiences for the visual and performing arts are generally shrinking and graying, more than one-third of us consider ourselves to be artists and engage in some form of artistic expression.

Particularly during stressful times like these, the arts can provide a healthy and life-affirming way to remain centered. So, take a moment to gather your thoughts, feelings, memories, intuition, and basic understanding of grace and without judgment or criticism, begin by simply writing the word “Grace” on a large piece of blank paper.

Using your chosen medium, whether that be pen, crayon, paints, markers, pastels, or collage, create an illustration of your soulful experience of grace. Through color, imagination, intensity of tone and shading, shapes – abstract, figurative or doodling - revel in your own silent, yet deeply powerful understanding of this radiant concept of grace. And don’t forget to breathe.

Enjoy!

Peace,

Laurie