Your natural rhythm on and off sugar

# 196 of 1000

     After 196 days on this journey, it seems what I have let go of has been more important than what I have added.  One of my most significant reductions has been sugar.  The sweetness in life, turns out has a counterpart, an unruly distant cousin called sugar.

   I have a natural sweet tooth but I am learning to embrace my more savory side.  My sweet tooth has seen me through the ups and downs in life.  Or so I thought but what my sweet tooth has done was create those ungrounded ups and madding and often tearful downs.  This sugar induced rhythm isn't the natural rhythm I'm looking to discover on my 1000 journey.

  Before bed, I had a little bowl of petite baby peas lightly steams and tossed in garlic ghee.  It was pretty sweet the label gives it 4 grams of sugar.  The label also shows it also has 4 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber.  It was both comforting and yummy.  I have been craving peas lately.  They are a good spring food for my spirit.  My skin seems to soak up its spring green color- chlorophyl and as funny as it sounds they make me happy.

   As I write this blog, it is the wee morning hours on a Friday.  Last night I went to sleep quickly but not instantly, there were a few minutes I could breathe in deeply and completely relax- 21 breaths.  And then this is the good part, I slept without any waking pauses until one minute before my alarm went off this morning.  I woke up to spring birds singing.  It almost sounds like a fairy tail.  But it was a real tail.  I reflected back on what I did last night that created such a lovely sleep and I remembered the peas!

4 grams of sugar is the equivalent of 1 teaspoon of sugar.  So if a label says it's product has 12 grams of sugar then this means you are consuming 3 teaspoons of sugars.  Labels are tricky little guys.  If you look on the ingredient list, sugar may not even be one of the top ingredients.  (You do read your labels right???)  But if you look a little deeper you may find sugar listed in a variety of ways.  Brown sugar, turbinado sugar, honey, high fructose corn syrup.....  this is a big list I believe there are something like 56 different sugars commonly listed.   Label reading has almost become a course in chemistry.  Keep it simple.

By keeping it simple, your life is not only greatly enhanced but also so so so much easier.  Like last night the ingredients in my little bowl of baby peas were three:  Peas, garlic-ghee.  And yes it did have 4 grams of sugar but those 4 grams are naturally occurring and surrounded by protein and fiber.  I am not a chemist nor a nutritionist but I can tell you this- 8 hours of uninterrupted, restful and delicious sleep, waking up before my alarm to birds singing and then being inspired to write is better than any sugar laden product out of a bag or box!

Giving up sugar is not easy, I understand this from the crumbs at the bottom of my cookie jar.  But and this is a huge BUT, the benefits to your spirit, your energy, your skin, your bright eyes, your deep restful sleep, your productivity, your immune system, your natural rhythm, your life are soooo worth the couple of days of cravings.

From my own experience, I can tell you this...giving up sugar is not a destination but a journey.  Some days will be like waking up after eating peas and some days will be trying to avoid the land mines of a family gathering.  Do not be hard on yourself, be kind on this journey.  Celebrate your successes, notice how your body, mind and spirit feel on and off sugar and then let your body tell you what to do.  This life of ours is a long journey.  Consider the impact of what sugar can do over a course of a lifetime.  And then consider what your life would be like following its natural rhythm and getting off the roller coaster of the sugar ride.

I wish you great joy on your journey.  And if you find yourself at a crossroad on your journey, try eating a little bowl of peas before bed!
        Denise




 

Spring question for your own journey

Day 182 of 1000 day journey

   Today is the first day of spring.  This is the season to set your goals and intent for the new year.  Traditionally we do this in January.  Energetically spring is the time for new beginnings and growth.

  So as this season was coming up, I had been pondering my goals for the new year.  This morning, even though it is really cold outside, I took off my shoes and went barefoot to pick up my dog Sally's poop, before the trash man came.  

   It was really cold outside, my feet only made it through half the yard before I caved and put on shoes.  As I danced around the back yard avoiding dog poop and trying to keep my toes warm, I thought of Nadine Star.  On her 90th or 95th birthday, she was asked by a reporter what she would do differently in her life if she had it to do all over again.   One of the items on her list was to go outside barefoot earlier in the spring.  

     My beautiful little niece, Marella, was born this week.  Yesterday she was three days old.  I thought to myself on her second day of life, what I would do different in my own life if I had the chance to do it all over again.  When Nadine star wrote her note she was in her 90's.  Thankfully I'm in my 40s and I get to enjoy some of my own wisdom.

   Between the birth of my new little beautiful niece, the first day of spring and my barefoot reminder of Nadine Star's list, I came in from the cold., put on warm socks and wrote my own list

And so if I had my life to do over again I would...

    I would lighten up my life a bit

    I would create more, dive into projects of passion and persist until they are completed

    I would pause everyday just to breathe deeper, listen quietly, relax and trust

    I would watch less TV and  have less mindless time sorting e-mails and surfing the internet

    I would listen more often with curiosity and an open mind

    I would dig in more dirt, paint more walls and have more documentary parties

   I would go on more walks with friends in new places

   I would save more and I when I did spend I would do so with gratitude and joyful confidence

   I would take more risks but I would worry less
   I would be kinder to myself and others remembering we are all doing our best

   I would spend time laughing and smiling not as a practice but because I'm just happy

   I would sing more, read out loud and dance more

   I would enjoy more inspired conversations
   I would be more thoughtful of others
    I would remember to celebrate my own imperfections and the beautiful imperfections of others
   I would eat with more gratitude, slowly, savoring each bite and stop asking others what I should eat
   I would be more mindful of my own words and thoughts

   I would remember to trust and relax knowing that we are indeed very blessed

   I would get up and do my morning yoga and set the intent of the day everyday!

   I would love each day and each season with a mindful passion

   I would Savor this life not by holding on and tightening up but by freeing up and embracing it!

  I would say yes a whole lot more
   I would fret less and pretend more

  I would listen to my own instincts and dive in with confidence

  I would fall into bed with more gratitude- giving myself time to reflect and wind down for the day

   I would stand taller, more confidently and with the essence of a lion

   I would ask more questions and pause my own brain so I can listen completely

   I would go outside everyday when the sun shines just to absorb the light

   I would go outside everyday when it rains just to breathe in the fresh air

   I would listen for the songs birds and notice the changes in weather and seasons

   I would remember to pause and come back to center and my own essence

   I would ask more questions, I would reflect more and I would trust my own heart a whole lot more.

   I would try to end each day with blessings and gratitude

 On this first day of spring.. I give you a challenge to create your own list.  And if this blog finds its way into your life on a day other than the first day of spring I recommend you write your list on that day!

Wishing you a a life of authentic and joyful expression

        Denise

Breathing and pondering...

#180 of a Thousand days

    Sally and I just returned from a refreshing early spring walk.  As we were walking I was pondering life, circles, snow flakes, ground hog day-the move, finger prints, days, weeks, seasons, spring, blossoms and breathing.  My mind was a blank- hahaha.

    My mind is rarely a blank.  Whose mind is blank anyway?  Why would you want a blank mind?  I like a relaxed mind, a creative, a interesting mind but blank- not so much.  Sometimes, usually at night after I meditate, my mind slows to an easy stroll.  I like my mind.  It is not for everyone and most likely another's mind would be uneasy living in my brain but I like it - it is home.

    As I ponder my journey of 1000 days, I forget to stop trying to fit my feet in another's shoes. This is a journey of my own spirit and soul.  My days will touch others, intermingling and then pausing to breathe but this journey will not be found in another's brain.  Today, there were two books that looks so interesting one on radical healing and the other on a journey to build schools.  Maybe my answers to this life are in those books?!!!

   My answers are in breath, in the flowers, in the wind.  My answers are in the questions and pauses.  As I breathe, I remember to pause. As I pause, I remember to relax.  As I relax, I remember to listen.  As I listen, I remember to smile.  As I smile, my breathe deepens, my mind comes back to present.  It is in the present, this moment this is where my journey begins and ends.

   I like my mind.  I like journeys.  I like spring.  And I like it when I remember to pause and come back to my center to find what I'm looking for.

   Wishing you all a happy early beginning to spring and a deep breath of now.
              Denise

 

 

Mildfulness and the art of Wednesday

Day 174 of 1000 day journey,
    And as the rhythm of the days continue it becomes clear my journey is less about running and smiling and writing and more about being mindful, connected and present.  It seems breathing, listening and relaxing are most helpful. This morning as I make my breakfast I pause to check in with myself and ask what my body would like or need.  Less is usually more and I make myself a plate of fresh raspberries over fresh cucumbers and a cup of peppermint tea.  The raspberries are so beautiful nestled in with the spring green cucumbers, it makes me smile and I take a picture.
   Today is Wednesday.  Governed by the planet Mercury and associated with our throat Chakra.  The energy of the day is connection and communication.  Wednesdays are a good day to write, learn and communicate with others.  I would guess the sense most associated with Wednesday would be our sense of listening.  Listening to others and to ourselves.
   It helps me to have a gentle reminder and trigger to remind me to be mindful of the rhythm of the day and of my life.  As I connect with a meaning associated with a day of the week, it gives me an insight into the day and a moment to pause and connect with my own essence.
   As I get ready to move into the office for a day's work, I can take this energy and calmness into my work.  Pausing and listening as I clear my inbox and then pausing again as I work on my day's project.  Remembering that today is not a race to rush through but a day to savor and be thankful for.
   And so I wish you a kindness of your Wednesday as well.  May you breathe deeply, smile bright, eat mindfully and connect with the world around you. It looks like it is going to be sunny and beautiful outside- spring is in the air.
      Happy travels on your journey of a single day,
              Denise

Jogging out- Walking home

Day 155 of 1000
  This afternoon the rain let up.  It was pretty warm outside and I love to run so out we, me and my dog Sally. We headed out for a 5 miler.  Our 5 miler turned into a 6 miler, the rhythmic steps were feeling good for my brain I wanted the day to last.  We would jog and then walk, jog and walk until my calf said no more jogging and then we walked home.
   Walking takes more time than running does.  I see more when I walk.  I see a lot more when I stand still.  I'm not thrilled that I couldn't keep running today, but maybe it was for the best. There was more time to ponder and see.  Learning not to judge my body is more of a skill than my natural response.
    Maybe what is on my to do list for 1000 days isn't what my heart really wants or needs.  Today I walked, tomorrow maybe if I'm lucky I will get to walk again.  Even if I could only go outside and stand- wouldn't it still be a gift?
   Learning not to judge but to wonder and appreciate what shows up has magic.
         Wishing you a day filled with wonder and unexpected blessings.
                  Denise

Pausing and listening

Day 116

   Happy new year to you.  If you were wondering where I went, no worries I was taking care of a sore shoulder.  Sometimes your body knows best.  When I listen to it, I do better.  When I press beyond and past its wisdom, I usually wish I had just paused and listened.

   Pausing from writing during my 1000 day journey was not part of the plan.  But when I paused and let go, good things started pouring in.  Having a goal is powerful and wonderful, but also having the insight to pause and listen is even more so. 

   Did I stop writing during my healing up break?  No, before bed I have been writing myself a little note and asking myself a question.   I love getting up in the morning feeling like I have answers to life's little questions.

   While healing up my shoulder I have continued to play with a Paleo type lifestyle.   It seems my body does better on lots of veggies, healthy proteins, nuts and seeds - sugar, grains, caffeine and even chocolate- not so much.

  This move to more animal based foods has been tough.  I grew up eating this way. (I was raised on a beef farm and huge garden)  But as I got older and more aware, I tried to adopt a more vegetarian type diet. I so wanted to be a vegetarian, it seems well.. so nice!  But my body, once again, gave me solid and consistent hints that the nice way wasn't the best way for me. 

   I'm loving 2014.   So far, the theme for the year seems to be:  pause, listen and trust!  Letting go isn't easy but when you do life gives back in abundance!

Wishing you all abundance and ease in your life,
               Denise
  

Finding peace in December

Day 91

Yesterday, Sally my flop eared smiler and I went for walk/run at dusk.  I remembered as I walked to smile and look up.  There really is much to be grateful for this season.  For me, December has typically been a time of regret and pressing.  I would find myself disappointed in my year, thinking I should have done more, been more, accomplished more, made more...more-more-more!  I would rush around trying to buy gifts to send to family, decorate, shop, wrap and bake in a season of quiet.

It might be my practice, it might be I'm another year older and perhaps wiser.  I don't know.  I do know this year I feel at ease.  I have found a love of this time of year that had eluded me in the past.  My house isn't decorated, my presents aren't all wrapped and sent, my cards not completed and my house isn't that clean.  And yet- and this is a drum roll moment- and yet I am surprisingly content and happy.

As Sally and I crested a hill yesterday we looked out into the sound and had to pause.   The sun was setting, pink was painted across the sky with blue, white and gray in wide strokes.  We stopped.  We paused, looked and listened.  The noise of my walking, my arms brushing up against my sides, our foot steps, breathing, my busy brain all came to a pause.  The quiet was so loud!  I heard birds and peace.  It is hard to put words to this feeling of quiet.  All I can really offer is a suggestion.

In this season of more, go outside and walk until you find a place of beauty.  And then pause.  Do nothing but stand perfectly still and absorb the moment.  If you are looking for peace on earth you don't have to go far.

Wishing you a season of peace, contentment and the inner wisdom to know when to pause,
        Denise

A shift in direction for the holiday season

Day #80!

And 80 days have moved through this practice.  I'm find myself smiling without cause lately.  As I move through the day, I will automatically remember to smile.  And when I smile my whole body relaxes and I breathe deeper.

This year for Christmas you will not find me in the malls or off buying because I have a list.  You may find me in the grocery store gathering supplies or in front of my stove creating.

For years, I have fought with my own spirit when it came time to shop and spend and ship and exhaust myself this time of year.  Partly I think from a feeling of not having enough and partly because this time of year my energy/spirit/internal rhythm wants more TLC than any other time of the year.

The thought of just buying because I would feel guilty if I didn't seemed so superficial.  The idea that I was separated from family and needed to buy a gift every year just to stay connected and so they know I love them does not fit well in my spirit.

Through this practice I have had a shift in Christmas gift giving.  I am making most of our presents, except for an ancient recipe book I found and ordered online.  But for the most part, I will be creating body butters, lip balms and skin healing creams to give.  I will be whipping up batches of Ghee plain and maybe a few mixed with raw honey or cooked with garlic.  I'm giving from my heart not my bank account or some misdirected guilt complex that shows up for Christmas.

When I create in the kitchen the very act makes me smile.  I gain energy. I come from a place of creativity and abundance.  When I shop I feel depleted, tense and poor.  And so in the spirit of my 1000 day practice, Christmas like every other season and day of the year should be a gift of joy.  And as I prepare to make Ghee this morning I smile because this gift is a gift from my heart.  It is a gift I know will be given from the spirit of love and not from the guilt of not loving enough.  Maybe I will spend more hours in the kitchen creating but I know I will spend less hours in malls and stores.  Maybe I will turn on my own stereo and listen to the nutcracker dance,  Maybe I will drink a cup of tea and snack on some homemade treat.  Maybe I will invite a girlfriend over to play as I play.  For creating is a way of playing and doesn't that seem wonderful to play through the holidays again???

And like most everyday since I have started this practice back on the 17th of September I'm so thankful for the grounding and consistency of this practice to remind me of my joys, my love of living and my gratitude for this day.

May your holidays, whatever they are, be a reminder of who you are deep inside.  May the gift you are be enough this season.  May you smile for no reason, breathe deeply and be content with your life as it is today.

Denise's ponderings on day 80

The Practice of Pausing

Day 71 of 1000

" If you want to learn you practice"
          Seven Sacred Pauses
                  Macrina Wiederkehr

  In high school and a bit in college I ran track and cross country.  Most everyday, I would practice.  I would practice gaining endurance and strength.  I would practice breathing deeply and gaining power.  Each practice added to my training.  Without practicing I would have never improved my running skills.  Some days, I practiced poorly.  In high school I remember a few days we took a short cut and ending up in the local Dairy Queen for ice cream.  Other days, my practice was almost spiritual in its power to transform.  Having quality days of practice was good but it was the daily practicing that made the most difference.  Showing up for practice was the key. My body, mind and spirit would often dictate the "quality of practice".   Maybe ice cream was indeed the perfect practice for the day.

  I don't always know what I really need.  My days start to blend together, my to-do lists take priority in my brain and sometimes I just forget what is truly important in life. This is why I practice.  I practice pausing and coming back to center.  I practice writing as a gift to myself.  I practice smiling to see the gift of each day.  I practice running to be honest.

These practices keep me humble and awake.  The curiosity of what will happen after 1000 days of practice keeps me motivated.

Macrina reminds me, "I believe that the word practice is one of the most important words in the spiritual life... If you want to be a dancer, a pianist, a singer, a figure skater, you practice...Why should the spiritual life be any different? We practice pausing to remember the sacredness of our names, who we are, and what we plan on doing with the incredible gift of our lives - and how we can learn to be in the midst of so much doing." pg 13 Seven Sacred Pauses

 

Washing dishes and smiling- a deep- deep practice for sure!!!!

Wishing you a day of practice that tastes like ice cream,

      Denise

 

The art of Kaizen

Day #60

Today, I have taken care of myself.  We had a wonderful family gathering of 19 yesterday- an early Thanksgiving celebration.  Which by the way I highly recommend.  Not only did we have today to get our home back in order, rest and eat left overs.  We also opened up a new tradition of having an un-traditional Thanksgiving two weekends before Thanksgiving.  It feels wonderful to have gotten to enjoy a vibrant family gathering.  But  I now feel so blessed to still have a not- traditional Thanksgiving day awaiting us.  A new tradition of having a day set aside for pausing and being thankful, not rushing, cooking and cleaning like a whirlwind.

And so tonight, as I puttered around my creative room and saw a familiar quote I have had on my wall for years.  I realized, it is really the definition of my 1000 day journey.

Kaizen
An interesting Japanese concept
The art of making the smallest subtlest changes possible

Is is not about feeding our appetite for the grand gesture.
It is about producing real and lasting change:
However Small

May your days be simple but rich in Kaizen,  
                 Denise

Different Kinds of Smiles

This morning I woke up and smiled.  I thought to myself, there are thousands of different smiles.  My smile this morning was a sleepy contented smile.  This little happy smile is completely different than my new discovery smile or my unexpected surprise smile.  It seems kind of silly but the idea that I have zillions of different smiles made me happy and somehow relieved.

The key to an effective smile is two fold:  engage eyes and if at all possible emotions.  The second is not necessary but always a huge bonus.  Some days, my energy is not as strong as other days.  Depending on where I find myself a goofy, silly smile may not be appropriate.  But I'm guessing if I pause and breathe long enough I might find enough reason to smile a little smile of gratitude or even a smile of relief.  The fact is each day will give me reason to smile- to say thank you.

If I can remember to pause long enough there will be a reason.   And if the reason isn't obvious at first, then I may I remember to practice my smile and by the end of my smile pause- just maybe I will have my reason.

I wish you great joy on your journey,
       Denise

Day # 47