"Every breath is an opportunity to receive and let go. I receive love and I let go of pain." Brenda MacIntyre
We all share in the expereince of being born into a beautifully imperfect world, to less than perfect family's, to deficient circumstances. And somewhere along the way we all encounter situations and experience intricate relationships that make us feel less than worthy. Our sensitive beings tend to carry pain from our past, deep insecurities born out of our affiliations with others and the environment we live in. But at some point through all the thinking and analyzing we must make a conscious choice. A personal judgement that is favorable for us. A decision to let go...
It is understandable when someone has wronged us to contemplate the all encompassing infamous question... why??? And though it is natural and to a certain extent good to self analyze, this path if not only visited will lead to disillusionment. At some point we must take what we have learned, bravely pick ourselves up and move on. Whether it be in a very physical sense or a mental way or a spiritual capacity there is an urgency in our despair to move forward. This guide is meant to aid us, it is our spirit crying out to us to release what is not meant for us to keep. For some of us that translates into letting go of a harmful relationship, many of us will find peace in the action of letting go of a toxic memory. For some it's letting go of self-destructive patterns we have attained from the mechanism we have created to survive. Pernicious emotions if left unchecked and unrequited leads to emotional unrest which begets a very real basis for "dis" ease in the fiber of our bodies.
Ann Landers stated, "Hanging onto resentment is letting someone you despise live rent free in your head." This quote I have to admit made me giggle, but in truth we all entertain these kind of thoughts, far too frequently. It is only in our realization of our own unique spirit and the importance our gifts have to the world, that enables us to release those people or things that have scarred us. Sometimes joy is found more in letting go out of the respect for ones being than the mining of our past may produce. For in all honesty we all know this one simple truth, life is too short to live in pain and disarray. And that is exactly what state this kind of thinking puts us in. You deserve to be happy....You deserve love....You deserve to live life abundantly. The question is do you believe it?
In the quest for this kind of peace I have started to verbally speak truth into my life. Try looking in the mirror and saying "I love you," "I forgive you," "You are worthy," and pay attention to the shift that will happen in your emotional and mental state. It is of vital importance to be active in our personal daily communication. What can you let go of today that will release you from pain? What can you receive today in the form of love and joy? Ask yourself this question and act upon it. You are of invaluable worth....
Come see us at The Wellness Kitchen and let go of the uncertainty that moving on can bring. Move onto a healthier life, to an advantageoous thought life and real answers you deserve on your quest to health and wellness. And as always this is Sarah encouraging you to let go often and eat peacefully....
Monday, May 30, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
"The Arctic expresses the sum of all wisdom: Silence."
"The Arctic expresses the sum of all wisdom: Silence."....Walter Bauer
Most of us are afraid of the great expanse of silence. I would venture to say this has something to do with our fear of being alone with ourselves...what may rise up in our psyche and our hearts if we were to just stop and be still? What may we have to face from the crevices of our minds and souls that we have neglected? Confuscious stated, "Silence is the true friend that never betrays." Our society has become so entrenched in the unhealthy habit of being in a constant state of over stimulation. Whether the never ending chaos of SOUND comes in the form of an ipod, a tv, the constant chatter of yourself or other humans, the mental busy-ness we have created can be mind numbing. There is something about noise that comforts us, that gives us a false sense of assurance. When in truth silence is a pathway to self-awareness and peace and true soul guidance.
William Penn states, "True silence is the rest of the mind; it is to the spirit what sleep is to the body..." How can we truly know ourselves or be at peace if we don't pause and listen to our souls? In all honesty we are always listening; it isn't the absence of sound that grants us this opportunity. What is of greatest importance is what we are choosing to listen to. If we are searching for relief or inner harmony, accepting the gift of silence and practicing meditation are the pathways to this kind of replenishment. Most of the great spiritual leaders, Gandhi, Jesus, Buddha, Emerson they all meditated....why? Because they understood that in the act of quieting our spirit we reach a clearer view of life, purpose, and attain sound answers. And aren't we all searching for answers?
Most of us find great joy and comfort when we immerse ourselves in nature. I have found one key component of the cessation that nature provides is the silence that envelops my mind while I'm in it. Whenever I feel lost I quiet myself. In the observation of our culture you will find most attempting to fill silence with words; this is a sign of unrest. It is unnecessary to choke the free air with expendable chatter, let us be choosy with our self-expression and edify our spirits through the analyzing of our communication. If you are overwhelmed or in a state of desperation, still your heart, mind and soul. Learn the tools of meditation and apply them in the form of daily habits, it is worthy of your time. This practice is just as vital as eating healthy food, breathing clean air and regulating your thoughts. Certain productive chemicals are released during meditation that are otherwise hard to attain. Do not fear yourself, do not be afraid to still your mind, this is a deception to keep you in a constant state of being unaware. Unaware of what is really going on in your soul. It is only in the recognition of our soul climate that we can make lasting changes.
Come see us at The Wellness Kitchen, sit in our garden and be still...lounge on our veranda and rest...quiet the constant chatter and listen to the peace of silence. And as always this is Sarah encouraging you to be still and eat peacefully...
Most of us are afraid of the great expanse of silence. I would venture to say this has something to do with our fear of being alone with ourselves...what may rise up in our psyche and our hearts if we were to just stop and be still? What may we have to face from the crevices of our minds and souls that we have neglected? Confuscious stated, "Silence is the true friend that never betrays." Our society has become so entrenched in the unhealthy habit of being in a constant state of over stimulation. Whether the never ending chaos of SOUND comes in the form of an ipod, a tv, the constant chatter of yourself or other humans, the mental busy-ness we have created can be mind numbing. There is something about noise that comforts us, that gives us a false sense of assurance. When in truth silence is a pathway to self-awareness and peace and true soul guidance.
William Penn states, "True silence is the rest of the mind; it is to the spirit what sleep is to the body..." How can we truly know ourselves or be at peace if we don't pause and listen to our souls? In all honesty we are always listening; it isn't the absence of sound that grants us this opportunity. What is of greatest importance is what we are choosing to listen to. If we are searching for relief or inner harmony, accepting the gift of silence and practicing meditation are the pathways to this kind of replenishment. Most of the great spiritual leaders, Gandhi, Jesus, Buddha, Emerson they all meditated....why? Because they understood that in the act of quieting our spirit we reach a clearer view of life, purpose, and attain sound answers. And aren't we all searching for answers?
Most of us find great joy and comfort when we immerse ourselves in nature. I have found one key component of the cessation that nature provides is the silence that envelops my mind while I'm in it. Whenever I feel lost I quiet myself. In the observation of our culture you will find most attempting to fill silence with words; this is a sign of unrest. It is unnecessary to choke the free air with expendable chatter, let us be choosy with our self-expression and edify our spirits through the analyzing of our communication. If you are overwhelmed or in a state of desperation, still your heart, mind and soul. Learn the tools of meditation and apply them in the form of daily habits, it is worthy of your time. This practice is just as vital as eating healthy food, breathing clean air and regulating your thoughts. Certain productive chemicals are released during meditation that are otherwise hard to attain. Do not fear yourself, do not be afraid to still your mind, this is a deception to keep you in a constant state of being unaware. Unaware of what is really going on in your soul. It is only in the recognition of our soul climate that we can make lasting changes.
Come see us at The Wellness Kitchen, sit in our garden and be still...lounge on our veranda and rest...quiet the constant chatter and listen to the peace of silence. And as always this is Sarah encouraging you to be still and eat peacefully...
Friday, May 13, 2011
"The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another."
I felt completely overwhelmed this week and to be honest with you I seriously doubted if I had the mental or emotional capacity to get done what needed to be accomplished. In this state of growth this quote from William James encouraged me, "The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another." Sounds pretty simple right? Not so easy to do....What does this really mean? How do we apply this? Most of us feel so powerless against the thoughts that race through our minds. We must recognize the influence our thoughts have over the immediate well-being or distress of our emotions. The intricate part our thoughts play in our overall well-being is immense, therefore our activity towards our mental health must be done with great effort and care.
In the instance of being overwhelmed....let's discuss this. Generally speaking, if we have found ourselves in a state of being utterly mentally exhausted we have been looking to far ahead. Yes it's good to plan, yes it's good to be mindful of our futures, but we must avoid the trap of being so caught up in the future that we rob ourselves of the only certainty we have which is NOW. For some of us that means we are looking at the lengthy months ahead of chemo or radiation. For some of us it means we are worrying about how we will sleep tonight through the pain. For some of us the worry is where our next meal will come from or will we have the money to pay the bills? My encouragement to you is tackle the moment, the one that's right in front of you. And in that moment search for some peace, some happiness and hold onto it. It is a gift to you from life, savor it. That gift could be in the form of a smile, a light breeze, the warmth of the sun or an encouraging word from a loved one. Don't let those gifts pass you by, they are meant to sustain you.
The truth is there will always be future sadness, but there will also be future joy! Let us focus on whatever healthy delight that presents itself to us and in our gratitude let us be lifted up and encouraged. More good will come to us, more health to our minds, more vitality to our bodies, if we CHOOSE to think on prosperous things. Edmund Spenser stated, "It is the mind that maketh good or ill, That maketh wretch or happy, rich or poor." When I hear this quote, the health I want to illuminate here is not necessarily monetary gains. Richness of the mind and body and relational treasures, that is the richness of life. You have everything you need all the experiences you have overcome all the joy and sadness you have experienced has made you who you are and brought you right to this place. Eliminate the bad, live in the good and don't allow being overwhelmed to rob you of your happiness that you could be living in. Come see us at The Wellness Kitchen and find some peace, take a moment for yourself to rejuvenate and choose to think on health, well-being and prosperity. And as always this is Sarah encouraging you to eat peacefully...
In the instance of being overwhelmed....let's discuss this. Generally speaking, if we have found ourselves in a state of being utterly mentally exhausted we have been looking to far ahead. Yes it's good to plan, yes it's good to be mindful of our futures, but we must avoid the trap of being so caught up in the future that we rob ourselves of the only certainty we have which is NOW. For some of us that means we are looking at the lengthy months ahead of chemo or radiation. For some of us it means we are worrying about how we will sleep tonight through the pain. For some of us the worry is where our next meal will come from or will we have the money to pay the bills? My encouragement to you is tackle the moment, the one that's right in front of you. And in that moment search for some peace, some happiness and hold onto it. It is a gift to you from life, savor it. That gift could be in the form of a smile, a light breeze, the warmth of the sun or an encouraging word from a loved one. Don't let those gifts pass you by, they are meant to sustain you.
The truth is there will always be future sadness, but there will also be future joy! Let us focus on whatever healthy delight that presents itself to us and in our gratitude let us be lifted up and encouraged. More good will come to us, more health to our minds, more vitality to our bodies, if we CHOOSE to think on prosperous things. Edmund Spenser stated, "It is the mind that maketh good or ill, That maketh wretch or happy, rich or poor." When I hear this quote, the health I want to illuminate here is not necessarily monetary gains. Richness of the mind and body and relational treasures, that is the richness of life. You have everything you need all the experiences you have overcome all the joy and sadness you have experienced has made you who you are and brought you right to this place. Eliminate the bad, live in the good and don't allow being overwhelmed to rob you of your happiness that you could be living in. Come see us at The Wellness Kitchen and find some peace, take a moment for yourself to rejuvenate and choose to think on health, well-being and prosperity. And as always this is Sarah encouraging you to eat peacefully...
Thursday, May 5, 2011
"Oh, if you're a bird, be an early bird....."
"Oh, if you're a bird, be an early bird
and catch the worm for your breakfast plate.
If you're a bird, be an early bird -
but if you're a worm, sleep late."... Shel Silverstein
We waste a lot of time and precious energy associating ourselves with others ideals. We as a culture also tend to sit in judgement over others lives much too often for our own good. What is right for the bird is not what is right for the worm. While it is vital to counsel with those we feel have admirable qualities, it is also of great importance to make our own educated choices. We must walk down our own paths to freedom, self-awareness and health. And in turn it serves and esteems our character most, to respect the paths of others.
Think back over your life, the last month, yesterday.....How many times have you held yourself back from courageously living your life out of the anxiety of rejection or disapproval from others? Arguably our place in society and the general concurrence of what is right or wrong can be of great importance to us. But this is not what I'm speaking of here, I'm talking about our ability to live out our purpose here in lieu of others opinions. What you wear, what you do for a living, who you love, what you believe in....these are just some of the things we look towards others for affirmation. The truth is the only person you must live with is yourself, you must sit with your own bones. In the action of looking ourselves in the eye, can we say in all confidence that we are living out our aspirations? That we are following through with our principles, ideology's, theology, morals...no one else's?
We all must answer for our own lives. If we sacrifice who we are, our aspirations for others, we are the only one who suffers. Thich Nhat Hanh states, "To be beautiful means to be yourself. You do not need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself." And in truth once you accept yourself you give others the unique opportunity to get acquainted with who you really are. Avoid the trap of projecting your insecurities on others, bring your energy in, trust the immense quality of YOU. In the same breath it serves us no commendable purpose to judge others. In the act of judging others we degrade ourselves and the recipients of our judgement with our skewed assessments and assumptions.
Come see us at The Wellness Kitchen, we respect you and the path you have chosen and we will come alongside you with compassion and understanding. And as always this is Sarah encouraging you to be who you are, whether it be the worm or the bird.... and eat peacefully.....
and catch the worm for your breakfast plate.
If you're a bird, be an early bird -
but if you're a worm, sleep late."... Shel Silverstein
We waste a lot of time and precious energy associating ourselves with others ideals. We as a culture also tend to sit in judgement over others lives much too often for our own good. What is right for the bird is not what is right for the worm. While it is vital to counsel with those we feel have admirable qualities, it is also of great importance to make our own educated choices. We must walk down our own paths to freedom, self-awareness and health. And in turn it serves and esteems our character most, to respect the paths of others.
Think back over your life, the last month, yesterday.....How many times have you held yourself back from courageously living your life out of the anxiety of rejection or disapproval from others? Arguably our place in society and the general concurrence of what is right or wrong can be of great importance to us. But this is not what I'm speaking of here, I'm talking about our ability to live out our purpose here in lieu of others opinions. What you wear, what you do for a living, who you love, what you believe in....these are just some of the things we look towards others for affirmation. The truth is the only person you must live with is yourself, you must sit with your own bones. In the action of looking ourselves in the eye, can we say in all confidence that we are living out our aspirations? That we are following through with our principles, ideology's, theology, morals...no one else's?
We all must answer for our own lives. If we sacrifice who we are, our aspirations for others, we are the only one who suffers. Thich Nhat Hanh states, "To be beautiful means to be yourself. You do not need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself." And in truth once you accept yourself you give others the unique opportunity to get acquainted with who you really are. Avoid the trap of projecting your insecurities on others, bring your energy in, trust the immense quality of YOU. In the same breath it serves us no commendable purpose to judge others. In the act of judging others we degrade ourselves and the recipients of our judgement with our skewed assessments and assumptions.
Come see us at The Wellness Kitchen, we respect you and the path you have chosen and we will come alongside you with compassion and understanding. And as always this is Sarah encouraging you to be who you are, whether it be the worm or the bird.... and eat peacefully.....
Monday, May 2, 2011
"Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing."
I had the great pleasure of performing live music with my band for the theatrical debut of "Dreamweaver" this weekend. It was my first true experience with live theatre and with 6 shows spanning a couple days I was exhausted! But during this unique experience I grew a deeper love and appreciation for the arts. The expression of someones mind played out in the form of music and dance on stage was beautiful.
We get so caught up in the daily grind, the mechanics of our society that I fear most of us have lost a great deal of our imagination and ability to revel in "wonder". When we think of art we may think of paintings, music, dance, theatre. But these expressions are all born in the mind, they are the most used the most common ways we as humans find to express ourselves. They are our mind at "play". When was the last time you witnessed something beautiful and let your mind respond to it in the form of art? When was the last time you took a great sorrow of yours and let it bleed out on a piece of paper? So many of us do not allow ourselves the joy of soul expression through art because we have resigned ourselves that if it doesn't make us money or were not exceptionally talented at it that it is not worth doing. This is a great injustice to ourselves. What beauty might come of our culture if we let go of this restrictive ideology? What beauty might come from you? Just as we need air for our lungs, food for our body's and love for our hearts....we need art for our souls.
We have the great privilege of seeing the world through our own unique perspective therefore our art is comparable to no one. We must let our minds give homage by acting out our imagination and our response to life in whatever art form we see fit.
Frank Stella states, " You see what you know." What are you choosing to see? Are you seeing beauty in the simple things? I would encourage you to turn off the TV, feast your eyes instead on something worthy of your time. Great architecture of nature, or the human hand. The smile of a newborn child just starting out in the world. The fields of fragrant flowers and the soaring birds. The great ocean and its crashing waves. The calm river with its bountiful secret life floating beneath the surface. This is the world you live in....We have the choice to see truth and beauty. Once you see something of great worth, say something back. Maybe with a paintbrush, maybe with clay or perhaps with dance or song, or a smile. Live your art out daily because you have the privledge of being human and it is vital to express oneself.
Come visit us at The Wellness Kitchen and witness the art of our 1892 manse, the art of the oak trees or the trickling water of the waterfalls. Become a part of the art of healthy living. And as always this is Sarah encouraging you to live out your art daily and eat peacefully....
We get so caught up in the daily grind, the mechanics of our society that I fear most of us have lost a great deal of our imagination and ability to revel in "wonder". When we think of art we may think of paintings, music, dance, theatre. But these expressions are all born in the mind, they are the most used the most common ways we as humans find to express ourselves. They are our mind at "play". When was the last time you witnessed something beautiful and let your mind respond to it in the form of art? When was the last time you took a great sorrow of yours and let it bleed out on a piece of paper? So many of us do not allow ourselves the joy of soul expression through art because we have resigned ourselves that if it doesn't make us money or were not exceptionally talented at it that it is not worth doing. This is a great injustice to ourselves. What beauty might come of our culture if we let go of this restrictive ideology? What beauty might come from you? Just as we need air for our lungs, food for our body's and love for our hearts....we need art for our souls.
We have the great privilege of seeing the world through our own unique perspective therefore our art is comparable to no one. We must let our minds give homage by acting out our imagination and our response to life in whatever art form we see fit.
Frank Stella states, " You see what you know." What are you choosing to see? Are you seeing beauty in the simple things? I would encourage you to turn off the TV, feast your eyes instead on something worthy of your time. Great architecture of nature, or the human hand. The smile of a newborn child just starting out in the world. The fields of fragrant flowers and the soaring birds. The great ocean and its crashing waves. The calm river with its bountiful secret life floating beneath the surface. This is the world you live in....We have the choice to see truth and beauty. Once you see something of great worth, say something back. Maybe with a paintbrush, maybe with clay or perhaps with dance or song, or a smile. Live your art out daily because you have the privledge of being human and it is vital to express oneself.
Come visit us at The Wellness Kitchen and witness the art of our 1892 manse, the art of the oak trees or the trickling water of the waterfalls. Become a part of the art of healthy living. And as always this is Sarah encouraging you to live out your art daily and eat peacefully....
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