less is more

  • Increasing busy-ness at work has inspired me on a mission to fine-tune my routine and optimize my feel-good practices. Today I’m focused on giving myself plenty of time to get to where I’m going. It seems that no matter how long I’ve been awake, I’m always rushing to get out the door. This causes a fair amount of stress that erodes the self-care practices I’ve developed. Really what’s the point in meditating in the morning if I run around frantically trying to get ready for work in 4 minutes flat!?!

    This morning, in an effort to be more kind to myself, I allowed more spaciousness in my schedule. I reserved a full 20 minutes to get dressed, gather my lunch, and double check that my wallet and other essentials are in the proper bag before heading downstairs. Yesterday I panicked because I couldn’t find my transit pass, ran back up to my third floor apartment to ransack various purses, only to realize it was in my pocket all along. ARGH! Not a peaceful entry into the world.

    Since I don’t bother with makeup and it takes only 30 seconds to comb my hair, this 20 minutes allows the leisurely pace of my spiritual practice to extend into my commute. No doubt the lack of frenzied rushing will set a tone for a much more peaceful day at work. I’m thrilled to say goodbye to a bad habit that I’ve ignore for too long; one that is caused by trying to do one more thing before I leave the house. Once again, I’m remembering that sometimes less is more, and that good planning is the foundation for reducing the amount of stress I subject myself to.

     

    Radical Self-Care, Spaciousness

    Increasing busy-ness at work has inspired me on a mission to fine-tune my routine and optimize…

  • I’m super-psyched to announce that Luminous Heart Reiki has found a home in Philadelphia. Next week I will begin offering treatments and classes on a regular basis. While this is a dream come true, on the practical side, things are getting rather hectic. Just a few weeks ago I took on part-time work at a nearby spa to provide the financial stability necessary to pursue building a private Reiki practice. Now I have two PT jobs and a new business, all of which demand attention.

    As I will be doing more massage than I have in years and spending hours in front of the computer launching a new business, it’s absolutely necessary to step-up my self-care program. I need to better manage my dwindling free time and maximize my ki/chi/qi/prana and overall wellness. I’ve decided to commit to a 40 day radical self-care adventure. I’ve read that it takes 40 consecutive days of practice to create a new habit, so I’m going to spend that time exploring a variety of options to refine my daily routine.

    Today is Day 1. It’s also the day I signed a lease for my new office space, so it seems like the perfect day to begin. And my revolutionary self-care act for today, was to NOT go for a hike. That’s right! I skipped it altogether. The last two times I hiked in the woods, I felt a sharp pain in my ankle on the return trip. As much as it feeds my soul to meditate by the creek in the morning, I chose to stay home.  I opted to rest and simply hold my ankle between my hands and flood it with healing Reiki energy.

    So that’s it for Day 1. I tuned in and honored my body where it was at and sat on my butt for an entire 15 minutes! Sometimes less is more. And I’m truly grateful to begin this voyage with a lesson in being rather than doing. Stay tuned for more exploration into the world of self-care. I can’t be sure that I’ll be posting everyday as I want to remain in the flow of what I need in every moment, but I will indeed report back faithfully.

    Buckle Up! Radical Self-Care, Less is More

    I’m super-psyched to announce that Luminous Heart Reiki has found a home in Philadelphia. Next week…