~~What’s Lori been up to?~~
News Alert! If you’re a new wellness coach (or in training), I invite you to take a look at my new “Self-Guided Mentor Coach Program”. It’s a wonderful jumpstart to your coaching success and an affordable, informative resource. Check it out at this link: http://loriboothroyd.com/?page_id=245
As I mentioned in my last issue, I’ve opened a “satellite” office in downtown Traverse City, Michigan. If you’re a “local” I hope you’ll stop by and say hello! I’m offering psychotherapy services as well as a fun and enlightening workshop series about “instinctive eating” and weight loss. Stay tuned for more details in the months to come for Traverse City programs as well as teleconference offerings (which have no geographic boundaries). My therapy practice website is http://www.tcwellbeing.com if you’d like to learn more.
I always welcome the opportunity to support you on your journey!
This issue’s article features Mindfulness, my professional and personal “wellness focal point”. I firmly believe mindfulness is at the very core of Centered Living and authentic well-being.
~~Feature Article: Coming to Our Senses!~~
Coming to Our Senses: Mindfulness in Summer
Ahhh…..the dog days of summer have arrived! A wise man named Sam Keen once said “Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability”. For us in the Grand Traverse Peninsula, deep summer means laziness, vacation time and of course…..cherries! July is the time to indeed celebrate life with a bowl of cherries and to honor this seasonal gift by slowing down and being with our friends and family. Summertime is filled with pleasurable memories of campfires, sunsets, swimming and hammocks.
With this beautiful season upon us, take advantage of the opportunities to be meaningfully connected with your family and closest friends. The quality of time we spend together is just as important (if not more so) than the quantity of time. Meaningful, healthy communication is key to more deeply savoring and enjoying the time shared during deep summer. Here are some suggestions and tips to get you started:
1. Instead of just dreaming about the lazy, hazy days of summer – make a plan to spend time with a dear friend or member(s) of your family. Schedule it just as you would your other life responsibilities and then honor the time you’ve set aside. Make very conscious choices about how you wish to spend these precious days. If you haven’t already planned a day, or even an afternoon to share some summer moments with someone near and dear to you, I urge you to do it today!
2. Encourage “Mindful” family time. Camping trips, family vacations and travel during the summer can sometimes be hectic and chaotic. Slowing down and teaching yourself and family to savor and enjoy laughing, singing, telling stories and sharing calm silence is the glue that bonds families and creates cherished memories. Remind yourself to pause, take a deep breath and be deeply aware of such moments. It can reduce the pressure to “hurry up and do” everything listed on a vacation itinerary. It can promote the simple joy of “being” together.
3. Along with creating mindful time with your family, there is no better opportunity than a family holiday to deepen healthy and meaningful communication and connection within your family. How do we create meaningful connection? Sometimes we must slow down and show our family that we are listening very deeply to what they have to say. Ever notice at the dinner table a sense of everyone talking, but no one really listening? When we listen carefully and deeply, it is a powerful way to show how much we care. It also creates wellness within relationship(s) and a deep sense of connection. Along with intentional, focused listening comes the power of speaking up to tell “your” truth. Sometimes family vacations become stressful due to poor communication. Being honest about what you are feeling and what you each need in an open family discussion will cut through the tension and help you arrive at a place where you can all enjoy each other (and your vacation experience). Ask questions to better understand one another and listen with the intent to understand and accept. It will work wonders!
4. Finally…..always look for the joy! In each moment, look for the gratitude, the joke, the silliness. Let go and let yourself laugh, just a little bit more. Do you recall that hiking trip when it poured rain the entire weekend? Or the flat tire on your camper trailer? How about the midnight campsite visit from a ransacking raccoon? I recall such incidents. But what I remember most vividly was laughing and savoring joy with my family in these most unexpected and unplanned moments.
Take each cherry in the bowl…… just as it is – in the here and now. Enjoy!
~~Personal Reflections~~
As I mentioned, I’ve rediscovered Mindfulness, the simple (but never easy) practice and approach of being in the present moment…….the Here and Now. I’ve decided to devote more of my writing and service offerings toward helping others experience mindful moments in everyday life. Jon Kabat-Zinn is one of my favorite authors and one of my favorite mantras comes from him: “This is it. Right now IS my life”. This reminder helps me focus and sweat a little less in the face of relatively “small stuff”.
I’ll briefly share with you a mindful moment that was offered to me this past week. I needed a haircut…..badly. I tend to put it off far too long. I went to someone new this time around. The day of my appointment, I was harried and wondered: “WHAT was I thinking scheduling this hair appointment in the middle of such a busy day?”. Mumbling and grumbling under my breath, I rushed into the hair salon. I was greeted and immediately quieted in the hairdresser’s presence. She introduced herself, offered me a cool drink and proceeded to shampoo my hair and massage my scalp as if she didn’t have another care in the world, and nothing else in the world but time. I was so impressed by her undivided presence……but rather than commenting or analyzing…….I just accepted it with gratitude. Less than an hour later I left without the headache and edgy attitude I showed up with (plus I had a nice new hairdo). The point is, I didn’t spend that 45 minutes worrying about the next thing on my list or reviewing the day thus far. This marvelous hairdresser gave me the gift of staying in the moment and mindfully savoring an otherwise mundane experience. I was tempted to ask if she meditated…..but I decided that question could wait until my next visit!!!
And until our next visit, may you experience mindfulness in the most mundane to marvelous moments of your life. “This is it. Right now IS your life”.
Lori
Dr. Lori Gray Boothroyd is a fully licensed psychologist and a professional certified coach, specializing in whole health psychology and facilitating retreat experiences. She is dedicated to helping women eliminate emotional eating and banish “yo-yo” dieting forever! Lori co-authored the book “Going Home: A Positive Emotional Guide to Promote Life Generating Behaviors” with her husband, Dr. Gregory Boothroyd. They reside with their furry family in Traverse City, Michigan.
