The Intuitive Path Blog

Today's Intuitive Self-Care Tip: Start a Morning Me Time Routine

"Morning has broken like the first morning..." ~ Cat Stevens

Working from home I have been tempted many times to walk over from my bedroom straight to the office in the morning. Do you know what I am talking about? Especially during peak times it seems the most logical thing to do. Get right to the task when you get up! However, whenever I do this and skip my beloved morning routine, the day just doesn't go as well. I feel that I skipped a very important part of me arriving into the day after several hours of rest. I get overwhelmed much more quickly, and I don't have as much fun and satisfaction with my work. How about you?

Hopefully, you already have a morning me time routine that energizes you and gets you ready to address the tasks of the day with joy and passion. For the ones of you who haven't done it yet and might also be challenged by the "me-time" phrase, think about how enjoyable it would be to have time by yourself in the morning, even if it's 15 minutes. You know by now, I am all about just doing it, just getting started.

So, let me share how I ease into the day:

* Prayer shortly before sunrise - nothing beats the connection with the Supreme Being right when I wake up

* Journaling with a cup of tea - I go with Julie Cameron's idea of the morning pages, just jot down whatever comes to mind: what I dreamed last night, how I would like the day to go, what worries me at the moment...

* Writing affirmations in my journal - my newest addition to the routine which has shown to be quite powerful the other day to calm my mind from anxious thoughts about work!

* 30 minute walk outside - if you are like me, nature does the trick to relax, energize and attune the whole being to the beauty of this world and my life

I would love to hear what my readers do for their morning me time routine. Please share with us so that we can learn from each other! I know that some people enjoy yoga first thing or meditation. We all need to find our intuitive path for what works best for us and speaks the most to our self-care needs.

Enjoy the process and try the first thing that comes to mind tomorrow morning!

Today's Intuitive Self-Care Tip: Every Body Deserves a Massage

I am just going to assume that all of you have enjoyed a professional massage before, and if you haven't, you are overdue! I find massages extremely relaxing and rejuvenating at the same time. They can be a great piece of your regular self-care routine. If you think that you don't have the resources for it, let me convince you otherwise with just some of the benefits of massage therapy (Source: http://www.massagetherapy.com/learnmore/benefits.php):

• Decreased anxiety.
• Enhanced sleep quality.
• Greater energy.
• Improved concentration.
• Increased circulation.
• Reduced fatigue.

I find that particularly as a solo business owner I can use all the self-care I can get :-). If our body is not in great shape, how are we supposed be present with our clients and produce great results in our businesses? This certainly counts for everybody but in particular for us because we are the greatest asset of our business.

If money still comes up as an objective, than let me share some tips for self-care on a shoestring:

1. Barter your services with a massage therapist (just make sure you find a mutually beneficial agreement)
2. See people in training at massage schools so it will cost less
3. Get a half hour instead of an hour - less is better than nothing!

Don't wait, make an appointment for this week, and enjoy!

Today's Intuitive Self-Care Tip: Fall in Love with Fall

“To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring.” George Santayana

As many of you know, I live in the Northeast of the Unites States, and the seasons here are very pronounced. Maybe you are like me: you love the spring and the summer, the fall and the winter aren’t really your favorite seasons ;-). Especially, when I think of the winter, I am getting cold. This year however, I want to walk on a new path and embrace all the seasons for what they offer to us and how living in alignment with those seasons can bring joy, energy and peace of mind. Well, it’s one of these things: If you can’t change it, you might as well accept it and make the best of it. And now, as there are the first signs of fall, I might as well get ready for it.

 

Contemplating fall, there’s lots of good to say about it, and is what came for me:

    ~ Sitting on the porch in the morning under a blanket taking in the crisp air 

        ~ Putting on warmer slippers in the house

            ~ Sleeping well because the nights are cooler again

                ~ Watching the leaves turn into all kinds of beautiful colors

        ~ Picking up the trees’ fruits from apples to beechnuts

            ~ Eating roasted chestnuts as often as possible

                ~ Appreciating the time of harvest

 

As you are working on your fall offers to the world and get ready for the after-summer opportunities, ask yourself what fall offers to you and your well-being:

• What does fall mean to you?

• What are three things you enjoy the most about fall?

• How can you welcome the change of season and make it your own?

• How does it change your work & social schedule?

• What one action can you take today in preparation of fall?

 

Have a productive & enjoyable day!

Today's Intuitive Self-Care Tip: Play / Play / Play

“The beneficial effects of just a little true play can spread through our lives, actually making us more productive and happier in everything we do.”

Stuart Brown in Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul

It's Friday, and the weekend is just around the corner. You might have lots to do, and even consider taking some of the work into the weekend. As solo business owners, we are always tempted to do more. At the same time, phases of rest are essential! So, remember that it's still summertime and such a great time to play outdoors or indoors! If you feel guilty about it already, watch this TED talk with Stuart Brown in which he explains why play is not a distraction from work or real life but rather a vital and revitalizing part of our life: Stuart Brown on TED.

I won't give you all the research on play because I want you to play instead of read about it. If you want to hear more about the research, you can also listen to my podcast on the topic: The Intuitive Path radio show on Play.

Here my questions to trigger your action:

What kind of play do you enjoy? Is it sports, or playing with pen and paper, or with your children?

What did you enjoy when you were a child?

What makes you feel good and forget about time and anything else?

What can you to today and when?

Remember, if it's 15 minutes or an hour, it all counts. Enjoy!

Intuitive Self-Care

Hello Everyone,

I case you missed hearing from me through my blog or my radio show, I am back in the game. My own intuitive path brought me to a time of reflection and retreat as I noticed that my message as a coach needed some new life and juice. I was able to take some time off to spend with family and friends, and it gave me time to think about my priorities in life and how I need to change course with some things. I set the intention to bring more attention, beauty and love into my life, and I strongly hope for the opportunity to share this with you as well.

How are we able to bring more attention, beauty and love into our lives? For me, I came to understand that I needed to focus more being in the present and to enjoy every moment that is given to me as a chance to grow and let go of fears and doubts about myself and my future. This is an every day exercise that I am not always good at but by focusing on it I get so much better at it ;-).

Simultaneously, I asked myself how I could give the greatest contribution to you as my readers, listeners and clients. So, the importance of self-care and self-love presented itself to me in conversations with friends and colleagues who have been so absorbed with their work that the rest of life had taken a complete back seat. I know how this feels, and I am very thankful for the time I had to step away from work. And now, I wish to share with you and help you in figuring out how to take better care of yourself so that life and work are enjoyable and energizing again instead of draining and uninspiring. We all need time away from work and we all need to satisfy other parts of our being though in challenging times like the ones we had lately, we tend to let go of self-care. I want to bring you back to what self-care means for you, what activities or non-activities, what your intuition is telling you about your needs at this point in time.

Please share with me and the other readers what intuitive self-care means for you. I welcome your comments and your general feedback about this new direction I am taking which I hope to present in this blog, on my radio show and in other venues.

Peace,

Anja

Today's Radio Show with Ulli Allmendinger: Spring Into the New Season with Ayurveda

Hello Friends & Fans,

We had a very insightful radio show earlier today with Ulli Allmendinger, a good friend of mine with a Master's in Ayurveda. She shared with us tons of tips and information about how to prepare ourselves physically for the spring. Ulli was so generous to share more details in the document that I am including here: Download Episode No. 14 - Spring Renewal. This will give you a great overview over thriving in the wonderful season of spring by following Ayurveda's dietary and lifestyle suggestions. Further, Ulli included a spice mix and recipes that are great for this season in this document. We also spoke a bit about preparation for the summer because some of you might live in climates where the summer will come more quickly. Ironically, up here in the Northeast it didn't even feel like spring today, more like winter with these cold temperatures. But I am sure the spring weather will come back in a few days. Last but not least, Ulli recommended a cookbook to us: John Douillard: The Three-Season Diet. 

I very much hope that you will enjoy this information and listen to the podcast at your convenience - in case you haven't been with us live. I apologize in advance for the echo that we experienced as part of the call. Fortunately, it didn't affect the quality of the information and the energy that was there as always! You can access this and all previous episodes through the player on the left sidebar. I welcome any feedback and ask you to send me suggestions for topics and guests as this show is for you.

Next week in the Intuitive Path radio show, I want to discuss with you the importance of play in our lives. I will refer to a book that I have come across recently which is such an inspiring read: Stuart Brown: Play - How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul. The episode will take place next Wednesday, March 31, at 2:00 pm EST. In the show today, I accidentally told you it would be on Thursday. Please note the correct time so that you will be able to join us!

Always welcoming your connection,

Anja

Happiness Booster Series: Wonderful Resources for Meditation

Dear Pathfinders,

As part of the happiness booster series that I started recently, meditation and prayer were one of the boosters mentioned. And meditation certainly has been the buzz word for a quite a while, and more and more studies show the great benefits for our overall well-being. I have been meaning to write about this topic, and then, as it happens so often in coaching, one of my lovely clients brought the topic up in our last session. Apparently, it was the right time to talk about meditation and share some resources with you here and now.

So, what came up for me first was that everyone talks about meditation and many of us practice it already but what does meditation actually mean? And what form do you practice? Are you aware that there are many different ways of meditating and as someone said to me recently, it's more about the state than about a particular form of activity? For me, essentially meditation is about bringing us back into the here and now as I personally tend to be all over the place - in the past or the future, outside while I am at my desk, on one task while I am thinking of another... Do you feel me?

In my typical research kind of mind, I looked at different definitions on meditation, and I thought that Deepak Chopra said it so well, that I wanted to share his with you: "Meditation is a tool for the re-discovery of body's own inner intelligence. Practiced for thousands of years, it's not about forcing the mind to be quiet, it's finding the silence that's already there and making it a part of your life. Silence is the birthplace of happiness, creativity and infinite possibilities. From this field of pure potentiality we get our bursts of inspiration, our most intuitive thoughts, and our deepest sense of connection to the Universe. Practicing meditation on a daily basis allows you to weave silence and stillness into your mind and body to create a life of greater compassion and fulfillment. Meditation is a journey to the center of our very being; a journey to emotional freedom; and a journey to the reawakening of our unconditioned self."

With all these benefits and enjoyments of meditation in mind, let me rekindle the fire and offer you some wonderful resources that I like to use and that I am very grateful to the "authors" for. Some of you I am sure are very consistent and committed to your meditative practice. Many of us though might have fallen off the horse, tried one or two forms out, and then decided it wasn't for them. Wherever you are in your practice, there is always more to explore and try in this wonderful world. So, here is my list for you, and invite comments and contributions from any of you to add to this:

http://www.soundstrue.com/guide/meditation/#state_twenty_one_exercises – New guide to meditation by Sounds True, the spiritual growth publisher

http://life.gaiam.com/gaiam/p/Gaiam-Life-Meditation-Rooms.html - Natural sounds and images, beautiful and so relaxing by Gaiam, the eco online store

http://www.myinnerworld.com - Playful website by Michele Bernhardt, an intuitive healer, with lovely graphics and beautiful meditations

http://www.chopra.com/library - A variety of relaxing and calming guided meditations by the Chopra Center

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy...

Anja

Appreciate the Essence of Water

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/03/water.html

Happiness Booster Series: Finding Flow Every Day

Good evening friends & fans,

Yesterday in the Intuitive Path radio show I discussed the concept of flow and how we can invite flow more into our every day lives. I introduced one of the main experts on "flow", Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi ("cheek-sent-me-high-ee"). According to his definition, when we are in the flow or in the zone it is a state of great absorption, engagement, fulfillment, and skill. I am sure you can already think of some activities that evoke flow in you, and I encourage you as I did the listeners yesterday to think about activities that move you into this state. Further, reflect upon what benefits you do see in your life when experiencing flow on a daily basis? And what are your challenges in getting into your flow or spending time on these particular activities?

These are such some key elements of the show but that was certainly not all. So, I encourage you to listen to this episode to learn more. As always, any past episodes are available through the player on this site. Alternatively, you can go to the radio site to listen or download the episodes from there: www.blogtalkradio.com/theintuitivepath. I invite you all to send me suggestions or questions for the radio show. I would love to hear from you!

Next week, we will have my friend Ulli Allmendinger on the show. Some of you might have heard her on a previous episode. Ulli is an old friend of mine and an Ayurveda practitioner. She will share tips with us on how to prepare our bodies for the spring season. I will announce the day and the time together with more details shortly.

Until then, invite the flow and take some time for the activities that bring you a sense of fulfillment and joy. I am sure you have an idea what those could be ;-).

Be your best,

Anja

How To Develop and Improve Your Intuition

Intuition Teleseminar 3-10-10

Download audio

Hello Everyone,

Last week I had the wonderful opportunity through my friend Maryellen Smith to share tips about how to develop and improve your intuitive sense in a teleseminar. Now, you are able to access the recording of the teleseminar, and I very much hope that it will be enjoyable and beneficial to you. We spoke about what intuition is, what the different intuitive channels are, and in what ways we can protect ourselves from negative energy the more we access our intuition.

I am looking forward to your comments and questions,

Anja