when life gets hectic

with all this talk about sales and shopping i wanted to make sure we're also feeding our souls (myself included!).

when life gets hectic... be sure to create that spiritual space for yourself. just as flowers and plants need space to grow and flourish, so do we. nothing soothes my spirit more than sitting outside taking in the natural beauty. i'm grateful for being able to do that year-round living in santa barbara. a quick jaunt to the beach with muse gives me tons of tranquility for the week. the sound of the water never fails to carry my troubles away. even living on the east coast during the winter months meandering along the serene potomac gave me a sense of peace.

find your spiritual space and reflect on all that you have to be grateful for. share if you'd like too. wishing you safe travels and many many more blissful moments. thank you for coming into my space today.

truly grateful for you,
maria

laugh your way to wellness

I'm always seeking out interesting articles on wellness. My sister knows this so she sends me articles and links on things she comes across. She sent a fun one last night about balance... laughing your way to wellness. It's a type of yoga called Okido. The purpose is to help you regain the connection to your life-force and create the basis for better health and spiritual happiness. I gave it a try this morning with muse. She can always make me laugh. She does this drop roll thing on me most mornings to play and wake me up to feed her. She seems to have the Okido practice mastered. So I giggled myself to bliss. Really lightened me up, ready for whatever comes my way today.

So time to open our minds and take a journey to find the inner child in you and laugh your way through the day. What a natural way to feel good!

If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane.
- Jimmy Buffett

many uses for the eye pillow

One of my favorite spa items I own is the eye pillow. It's also one of those items that can be easily tossed aside if it's out sight. To prevent this, I keep it visible on my side table ready to use, stored away in its jute bag.

I use it a few ways.

1- As an end to doing a few sun salutations at home, I end a yoga session with shavasana - deep relaxation - where I lie on my back with my lavendar filled eye pillow on and accept the aromatherapy. I am completely relaxed and my mind quiet and still.
Tip** for a more intense relaxation, microwave eye pillow for a few seconds. You will love the warm feeling.

2- I also bring my eye pillow to yoga class so I can look forward to relaxation even more... in a room full of other yogis. Laying there with my eye pillow I enjoy a total feeling of accomplishment after a solid seventy five minutes of practice!

3- Great for a quick power nap. The eye pillow completely blocks out the light so there are no visual distractions. It's designed to fit above the nose, so it's a comfortable fit.

4- I take it along when travelling. In unfamiliar hotel rooms, it takes longer for me to fall into my zzzz's. The pillow is the comfort.

5- I started toting my eye pillow to the beach recently. I put a cover on it though so muse won't get sand on it while she's digging to get cool. When Muse sees it, she knows it's my time. Muse relaxes quietly next to me.

De-Stress muse

Portable Spa

I got this great idea of having a portable spa from my sister who travels alot.
Here's what I pack. Everyone's list will vary.

My Top 10 Portable Spa items include:
1) Green Tea soy candle in travel tin
2) Relaxing music
3) Eye Pillow
4) Yoga Mat
5) My favorite piece of fabric to lay items on
6) Small Buddha statue
7) Photo of muse, my dog sabrina
8) Spiritual uplifting book
9) Stones with personal meaning
10) Journal

The idea is to Establish Your Inner Altar wherever you are to balance work, family, and a home practice. Try carrying just a few essential altar items with you and see how you feel. Adjust as necessary. Be flexible with yourself on how you carry your inner altar. While travelling you might want to pack all items, while some days commuting to work you bring with you a few items - CD and your own thoughts in silence even. You could even create a visual presence on your desk at work to remind you to take a few minutes for an Om break each day. You might also want to carry a few of your favorite things while hiking too... the idea is to take your personal practice with you wherever you go. You get the idea.