Spring Ahead

Posted on April 1, 2016 by Michelle

“Spring is the land awakening. The March winds are the morning yawn.” – Lewis Grizzard

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Born in July – a time of fireworks and vacation, summer was always my favorite season. For many reasons now I prefer spring. Warm sunlight combined with cool breezes creates ideal weather. Nature is blooming to life. Birds gather twigs and cushy netting to build nests. They fly from tree to tree searching for the perfect home. Caterpillars miraculously transition into butterflies. It’s a time to plant seeds to grow in gardens and also in our lives. It’s a time of new beginnings.

Watching nature come to life again unfolding its beauty amazes me. Ranier Maria Rilke describes it perfectly, “It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.” Taking time to appreciate hearing chirps of baby birds, smelling fragrant flowers blossoming from buds, observing a caterpillar leave its cocoon and learn how to fly is touching to witness.

This season of resurgence inspires me to dust myself off, reach for new aspirations, continue my path of growth and development. I feel an urge to do more, learn new things, experience adventures of traveling. Like birds, I want to spread my wings and soar to new heights. I’m eager to spring ahead.

Time

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Michelle

“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” – Michael Altshuler

Time like beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It’s a personal perception based on emotions and events. There are numerous ways to define and describe time. When we’re bored, sick, waiting to hear test results, or longing for a loved one, time drags on. For children eagerly awaiting Christmas, summertime or their next birthday, time takes forever. As we grow older each year literally seems to fly by. Regret, mistakes, missing out on things, not appreciating something or someone, along with good times, vacations, celebrations, and reliving special moments universally make us want to turn back the hands of time.

In today’s hectic world, we all feel there isn’t enough time to do it all. Commitments, chores, and work take time away from things we enjoy doing like reading, learning a new language, meditating, writing, walking in the woods, taking bucket list trips, spending time with family and friends. If we don’t make time to do these things, we’ll never find the time. When it comes time to reflect back on life will it really matter if we worked extra hours at the office or got all of the housework done? Time is precious. Like money it can be spent or with appreciation it becomes even more valuable.

Here are some tips for The Time You Find, Simplifying Your Schedule: http://www.dailyom.com/articles/2014/42023.html

Be Love

Posted on February 13, 2016 by Michelle

Winged heart

Love is in the air … red hearts dangle in windows, balloons float by flowers, chocolates melt in our mouths. Like other things in our society, it’s a commercialized Hallmark holiday. But I will always think celebrating love is a good thing. Today more than ever, Jackie De Shannon’s song rings true: “What the world needs now is love, sweet love. It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.”

While the spark of romance is alluring, our spirit is what ignites true Love. In his book Path to Love, Deepak Chopra explains the Vedik view: “We are not observers of reality but creators. Our true nature is pure awareness, pure creativity, pure spirit … When you perceive yourself as spirit, you will not simply feel love – you will be love.”

So how can we be love? Compassion, forgiveness, and kindness all play a role. Gratitude is also key for me. The quote of a “winged heart” perfectly captures my gratitude for many more days of loving, as I celebrate 14 years being a cancer survivor this month. The first step in my healing process was a positive spirit and grateful heart. When we approach life from this perspective, we gain an inner peace which radiates outward in love. We can shine our light in many ways – a smile, compliment, helping hand, or hug are small gestures but their effect is powerful. Leo Buscaglia also known as Dr. Love said: “Love is always bestowed as a gift – freely, willingly and without expectation. We don’t love to be loved; we love to love.”

Giving

Sitting in Nature

Posted on January 30, 2016 by Michelle

“Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.” —John Muir, Our National Parks

Yesterday morning I woke with a need to sit in stillness with nature, to be in the midst of trees. I’ve always felt a connection to them, climbing the tall one in our backyard during childhood to be alone, sit and reflect with a bird’s eye view. Later in life, I sought refuge from stress in the towering redwoods of Cazadero. Bench in trees Sipping my morning cup of lemon honey water while reading How to Sit by Thich Nhat Hahn, I was particularly touched by The Moment of Enlightenment: “Siddhartha, the man who became the Buddha many years ago in India, sat for a very long time at the foot of the Bodhi tree. He appeared just to be sitting, but his body was also participating. In his awakening, he was very closely observing his body, his feelings, and his perceptions. As he continued his practice, his power of mindfulness and concentration became stronger and stronger. One day at dawn, as the Morning Star appeared, he felt a liberation that dissipated all the darkness within him. That was a moment of enlightenment.” Tree in park Feeling a little gloomy the past couple of days, I knew sitting in nature would help dissipate my darkness. Throughout the morning, the universe kept sending me trees: from practicing a new Pilates “Climb the Tree” pose to reading Tiffany Caronia’s response to LA Yoga Magazine’s question: What rituals do you incorporate in your life to encourage restoration? Part of her answer was “Spending time in nature.” I knew that was just what I needed.

I wondered where I would walk while I was out running errands. A sign popped out at me as I drove along Crown Valley: LN Botanic Preserve. I made a U-turn and pulled into the park full of walking paths, benches, and trees. I kept climbing the winding path until the singing of birds became louder than cars whizzing below. When I reached the top, I was rewarded with another thing I love – a labyrinth. I followed the maze mindfully letting all other thoughts slip away feeling nature’s peace.

Labyrinth

Peaceful Places

Posted on January 12, 2016 by Michelle

“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”
– Jacques Cousteau

When I’m stressed or struggle to sleep, I take some slow, deep breaths. Then I visualize a relaxing and memorable moment. My vision is always on a beach. It’s where I go to unwind and rejuvenate. The first place I usually picture is a Caribbean island we visited with a long stretch of white sand and warm water the color of robin’s eggs. It’s my go-to prescription for a calming effect.

In a memoir workshop with Roger Housden, he described, “moments of our past that are still alive for us. They shimmer their color – bright or dark. It’s an emotional laden sensation taking you underneath words.” We made lists of “shimmering images” in our lives. One of my most extraordinary experiences was floating in Maui while listening to humpback whales hum in the water below. Although I’m nervous swimming in the ocean, it’s the most peaceful I ever felt.

Another captivating image is watching sunlight sparkle on the water or staring out the window (like I’m doing right now) and watching waves roll in to shore. Years ago during chemo treatments, I would sit for the longest time just gazing at the beautiful blue ocean. It was part of my healing process.

The next time you’re tossing and turning or feeling stressed, take a moment to remember shimmering images from peaceful places.

New Year’s Resolutions

Posted on December 31, 2015 by Michelle

“Do small things with great love” – Mother Teresa

We’re still on the roller coaster ride of a long Holiday season – enjoying fun times, exchanging presents, feasting on favorite foods, while also fighting effects of the season’s frenzy. As we contemplate New Year resolutions, here are a few things to help us focus on our goal:

1. Express gratitude – One of the concepts for attracting things you want from The Secret is, ” Gratitude is a powerful process of shifting your energy and bringing more of what you want into your life. Be grateful for what you already have and you’ll attract more good things.”

2. Reflect on what brings happiness and fulfillment in your life. It could be getting together with friends, taking up a new hobby, learning a new skill, volunteering for a good cause. Plan on doing more things that bring pleasure and meaning to life.

3. Let curiosity set your goals. Sometimes goal setting can be daunting thinking we need a lofty intent in mind. We want goals that are achievable, help us grow, and feel a sense of accomplishment. Something I read recently really hit home for me from Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love. “Some people (like Elizabeth) are jackhammers. They focus intensely on one thing, diving in deeply and tuning out any other pursuit. But others are like hummingbirds, flitting from flower to flower–letting curiosity lead them from one interest to another–and making the world a better place by “pollinating” various interests with their unique contribution. Not everyone is a jackhammer! We need hummingbirds!”

So whether you’re a jack hammer or hummingbird, embrace new opportunities in the New Year!

Trip of a Lifetime

Posted on November 5, 2015 by Michelle

“Travel brings power and love back to your life.” – Rumi

Last month, we took a trip of a lifetime to Italy. I’ve wanted to go forever since it’s the birth land of our maternal grandmother, great-grandparents, and because of my love for pasta and red wine. After seeing the movie Under the Tuscan Sun, I couldn’t wait to visit the lush rolling hills and vineyards of Tuscany. I had only been to Milan for two nights when I traveled on a business trip with my spouse in 2004. It was such a tease!

On this trip, we flew into Milan and then drove to Levanto near Cinque Terra – five towns perched high above the Italian Riviera. We were in search of the same beautiful pic we saw in National Geographic and found it in Vernazzo after climbing a long steep stone trail.

After two nights there, we made our way to the captivating city of Firenze / Florence. On the first day, we received a perfect greeting by a young woman singing opera in the Piazza della republique. We visited the famous Uffizi art gallery and were mesmerized by the majestic 17’ original sculpture of David at the Galleria dell’Accademia. On our last night by chance, we caught this spectacular sunset over the Ponte Vecchio – which is the only medieval bridge not destroyed by the Germans in WWII.

Then we traveled down to Tuscany where we were joined by ten friends at a lovely villa with a small vineyard and rolling hillsides where deer grazed. We had the most wonderful time visiting the quaint towns of San Gimignano, Siena, and Montalcino, cooking pasta, drinking wine, laughing and dancing together. That’s what made it a trip of a lifetime! It’s a memory I’ll always cherish.

I read another great quote about traveling by St. Augustine: “The world is a book and those who do not travel only read one page.” It’s true that traveling opens us up to new people, cultures, and experiences. It’s a wonderful and worthwhile adventure. Like the quote I opened with though, it also gives us perspective and appreciation. It gives you a new love for life. Enjoy the road wherever it may take you!

Happy Heart

Posted on September 17, 2015 by Michelle

“Among the things you can give and still keep are your word, a smile, and a grateful heart.” – Zig Ziglar

I really believe attitude and gratitude make a huge difference in our lives. The best test for a good attitude was when I was diagnosed with cancer almost 14 years ago. It was devastating to hear that dreaded word. I had two choices: feel doomed or fight for my life. Thankfully, I chose to fight and thought: This will not get me. I will beat it! Keeping a positive spirit, doing things that made me smile and laugh, support from family and friends is what helped me through the most difficult year of my life.

It’s one of the main things I’m grateful for today. Gratitude and a happy heart go hand in hand. The more you give thanks, the better you feel. The opposite is often true too. When we grumble and groan about life, we open the door to more hardship. We all have bad days or times when things aren’t going well. It’s the course of life. I find it helpful after ranting to turn it around and recount all of my blessings. I always find the gratitude list is much longer.

There is actually an Expanding the Science and Practice of Gratitude Project at UC Berkeley and Davis to document and promote benefits of practicing gratitude which include:

Strengthen our immune system and lower blood pressure
Higher levels of positive emotions
Acting with generosity and compassion
Feeling less lonely and isolated

Pam Grout, author of E-Squared and E-Cubed believes our thoughts can create reality. Love her recent blog on gratitude. As I continue to feel grateful, I really do feel happier, and it makes me smile when hearts randomly appear in my morning coffee.

Simple Pleasures

Posted on September 8, 2015 by Michelle

“I’d rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck.” – Emma Goldman

My spark of inspiration today is from the warmth of friends we visited this past weekend in Virginia. With roots in Columbia and Venezuela, their lives are enmeshed in the cultural tradition of strong family connections. Their three daughters are kind-hearted and gentle spirits who enjoy doing yoga and meditation with their Mom. Although we haven’t seen them much over the years, we are their extended family. When the youngest asked her Dad, “What are you doing Papá?” he replied, we’re sitting outside talking with our friends.” She corrected him and stated, “You mean our friends.”

We were all able to let go of life’s hustle-bustle and relax for three days. We stayed up late and slept in even later. We feasted on eggplant and zucchini lasagna, chilaquiles, and tortes made together at home, then dined by the river side in the shade of willowy trees. I helped make granola for the first time and later smiled watching the girls bake cookies while singing a Venezuelan love song. Walking around the neighborhood, we kept track of the number of squirrels, birds, butterflies, dogs, and different states license plates. At the park, I ran for the swing and floated high in the sky as if I were a little girl again. We jiggled on the wobble ride to the Beach Boys’ Fun, fun, fun song. We meditated, contemplated new opportunities, and focused on the importance of mindfulness. It was refreshing to just enjoy simple pleasures of life.

Savor each delicious bite

Posted on August 17, 2015 by Michelle

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” – Benjamin Franklin

It’s been a while since I posted on my blog because I was completely immersed in a 6 week nutrition certification program. It was interesting and enlightening. I learned a lot about nutrition fundamentals, diet related diseases, and a scientific approach to analyzing health information which I’ll share in a future post.

Learning is a way to open our minds, sharpen our brain, and challenge ourselves. It gets us out of our normal routine and presents us with new opportunities. I love being a perennial student. It’s how we grow – whether it’s taking academic courses, creative classes, or lessons in life. Taking time to reflect and sharing with others helps to practice what we’ve learned. So here are a few healthy tidbits:

Nutrients work together like a symphony in a synergistic process to optimize their effects
A whole plant-based diet provides a full spectrum of nutrients working together to enhance health
Eating all colors of the rainbow is a way to maximize antioxidants and encourage creative cuisine
Organic vegetables and fruits are free of pesticides, herbicides, toxins, and genetically modified foods
Teaching kids to garden is a great way to get them to love vegetables
Appreciate the abundance of nature and savor each delicious bite!

(The creative, yummy lotus hummus dish was created by my friend, Susan.)