Back to School

Alarm clocks, homework hours, bagged lunches, meetings heaped upon meetings,
mass coordination effort of carpools, appointments, balancing work and
school schedules all the while keeping the cupboards stocked with
groceries.

By now, school has been in session at least a few days, in our district a
mere two weeks but long enough for several school holidays.

I'm wondering how everyone out there is feeling right about now?
Hurried?
Anxious?
Uptight?
Are you really here?

I just don't want to take on those feelings this year.

I want to feel differently this year.

I want to go through the school year

Leisurely.

Confidently.

Relaxed.

And consciously present.

Feels more healthy, rewarding, inspiring and hopeful.

So I'm trading in the feelings that bind me in a state of stress for feelings that bring freedom.

This is how I'm going to do it.

The first step is super simple.

1. Breathe.  Deeply, Quietly, Regularly and Rhythmically.

A healthy breath is characterized by those four qualities.

In ancient languages the word for breath is spirit. When we connect to
our breath, we are connecting to our spirits and the Spirit.When we
have breath, we have life. When our breath is no more, life as we know
it on earth is no more. Please don't over look the importance of breath
awareness. In western education we learn it is a part of the autonomic
nervous system so we don't need to think about breath because it
happens on it's own. This is true however, when we become hurried and
anxious, our bodies move into fight or flight and over an extended
period of stress, our bodies function in fight or flight even when it's
not necessary. Our mind, body system is further stressed which
compromises our immune system. You get the idea.

Consciously connecting to your breath and guiding it to be deep, regular, quiet and
rhythmic will ease fight and flight, direct your focus to your spirit
and the Spirit where the well spring of abundant life is discovered and
enjoyed.

2. Get clear about your vision for the school year by starting with the
end in mind.

What's my intention for the school year? When the last
school bell rings and Summer 2011 arrives, what's the story I want to
tell?

What are my aspirations, habits I want to alter, routines that will help me accomplish what needs to be done?

If I'm the parent, how can I best support my children in their school life?

3. Align actions with the end of the year vision and begin by taking small, incremental steps each day.

"Great trees grow from the smallest shoots;a terraced garden, from a pile of earth,and a journey of a thousand miles begins by taking the initial step."
-Tao Te Ching

We start by knowing where we are going (vision) and take action steps toward that vision.

Sustainable, life changing transformation happens when vision is aligned with action. Caveat, we must act.

Evaluate the activities that consume your time. Are they necessary and do they align or hinder the larger vision for your life? Don't be afraid to
pull out of something if it's not working. Let's face it, we need love
and emotional well-being more than we need to do a lot of what occupies
our time. Sometimes, the journey to our greatest life requires swimming
against the culture in which we are enmeshed.

Never underestimate the power of simple, small steps forward in pursuit of a what you want.

4. Prop yourself up.

We all need a support network and this isn't limited to people and it does encompasses an overall lifestyle. List all the things in life that make you smile and add them to the mix of life.

This is another critical point we miss when we are stressed. I am convinced in any situation we know what will make us feel better when we have taken the time to be fully present. We must, however, have the resolve to do that which we need.

It's helpful to make a "go to"list of your personal props.

Here's a few suggestions.

*Water and a lot more than you usually drink.  Water cleanses and supports the immune system.

*Yoga.  Read the blog post by Nona Jordan, businessyogini. The benefits of yoga apply to any area of your life. 

*What's your thing? Wine, coffee, fashion, gossip magazines, raunchy tv?  Simply stated, your "thing" is your diversion

*Just go outside.  It's good for the soul.

*Girlfriends, boyfriends, got to have them!

*Exercise, but not obsessively so. 

*Music.  Create a playlist that feels like the year you envision.  Check out the sound healing work of Fabeku, a certified sound healer.  

*Don't forget the power of your nose.  Essential oils are a scientifically proven healing and well-being modality.  

*Centering pause: Close your eyes and breath as described above.  Relax your body from the tip of your head to the tops of your toes.  Relax your face,neck, shoulders, arms, chest, back, thighs, hips, knees and toes.  Feel grounded and the earth fully support you.  Bring your awareness to your heart center.  Breath in unconditional love and breath out unconditional love.  Feel the love for yourself and extend the love to others.  When ready, open your eyes, look around the space you are in and feel comfortable and relaxed.  

Ultimately, we can rush from one event to the next but we won't arrive any faster. 

We can choose to approach the day's activities leisurely and confidently, removing the
anxiety all together regardless of constraints placed upon us. 

Resist being swept away by the sudden onset of the school year and invest time to carefully and playfully consider the story you want to tell come
that final school bell Summer 2011.