Conscious Life Expo

I was at an AWESOME business symposium yesterday in LA. Sounds so official and stuffy doesn't it --- but au contraire. It was a full day conference for peole like me, business folks, who seek out more spiritual solutions to business issues. It turned up only a small group of people in its 3rd very young year so I like to think we're the underdogs of conscious capitalism. ;-)

Speakers had titles like financial confidante (aka cpa) , web marketing therapist (aka SEO specialist) --- gotta love it! All the 5 speakers were incredible but one really stood out for me was Monique Guild, a business intuititve (aka business coach). She evaluates the person or business project and 'sees' your blocks to keeping you from achieving your goals. Pretty far out there from what I was taught in business school... maybe that's why I'm so fascinated by these subjects and that it resonates with me!

Well being the curious person I'm always seeking persepctives on ways to stay connected to the purpose of why I AM in business and not let the rigors of business life get to me -- you know, that overwhelmed feeling? It's funny because people expect me to always be de-stressed in my line of work (and for the most part it is) but there are days when when I get immoblized by all the stuff to do... though I know I will never get it ALL done. The goal is to minimize those overwhelming days and feel good when I rest my head at night at how the day went. So to help me stay focused I go to conferences like these with like-minded entrepreuneurs. It REALLY helps me to stay congruent with my values and therefore to serve my customers better.

I plan far in advance by signing up for workshops, tradeshows, retreats, classes, as soon as I hear about them. I plan meetings not to far ahead and lunches with friends but for the most part I like to think I have an organic schedule and it's been working for me. In my past corporate 9-5 days, I'd be so overscheduled and even loved it, or so I thought. Rather I was merely going through the motions of meetings and to do's that I didn't stop to question whether they were necessary or that it was taking me a step closer to my dreams. Although we should have some amount of order into our daily schedules, it seems more natural to do things which make us feel good about each day --- whether that's to finish a project, start one, make phone calls, meet a friend for lunch or even skip out for ice cream and go to the park. Though I don't recommend this for everyone, I remember back when I lived in Alexandria and worked at PBS.org, that a co-worker and I spontaneously stepped out and watched a movie in the middle of the day (oh what fond memories ;-). It was our little secret we and we were even more produtive that day and week! You get my drift. Let's have a little MORE organic white space in our calendar to be free of total commitments. That's my little secret from having funky to fabulous days... now I sneak out without the guilt!

stay well.

Maria
dreamer in residence and cso
(aka chief spiritual officer)

winter solstice rituals

winter solstice which is tomorrow marks the beginning of winter and the shortest day and longest night of the year. so for me as the sun goes down this means an annual ritual of remembering and appreciating the year that is ending, letting go of the not so good stuff in the year and then setting an intention for the new year ahead.

how will you observe or celebrate winter solstice? some ideas... sharing a candlelight dinner with friends or simply observing the sunrise and sunet, turning off the lights after sunset and lighting candles or fireplace to truly experience this longer night.

so instead of resisting this day, accept (reflect) and celebrate (the direction) of your new year ahead!

New partnership with Spiritual Cinema Circle!

Today is a great day. I'm very excited to let you know that we've just partnered with Spirtual Cinema Circle to do our little part to help raise the vibration of the planet!

If you haven't seen the film, The Secret, I highly recommend it! AND would love to hear your thoughts on how it has improved your life. Send me a message at maria@destressessentials.com



Spritual Cinema Circle is offering a free month of membership to get you started receiving those hard to find films. Click here to be taken to their website.

maintaining your youthful spirit

each time muse takes me on a walk i'm reminded how important it is to maintain my youthful spirit. every morning she wakes up with a freshness about her; she sees the world like it was the first time.

i feel joy watching her roll in the grass, playing chase with the birds, smelling the flowers... even the spring in her step, it's all with such freshness! bright eyed and happy tailed muse definitely inspires MY youthful spirit!

maintain your youthfulness by practicing seeing things as if it was your first time.

merriest of holidays!

beating the blahs

i'm glad that i'm not an expert on the blahs but on the days i do feel it, like today, i've learned to recognize it, listen to what my body is telling me and even sometimes wait the feeling out.

today, i hear "move it" to help me create energy so i can be fueled by more uplifting energy. ah, makes sense to me. my exercise schedule was pushed away this week by commitments so hence this lackluster day.

if you experience lackluster days especially during this busy holiday and shorter sometimes gloomy days, make an attempt at improving your state of mind whether that means being still or going for that brisk walk, writing in your journal, listening to music or even escaping for a movie. try these intervention ideas and see what inspires you.

view blah times as an opportunity to slow down and listen to your inner self; listen to what your spirit says!

i'm off with muse to brighten my blahs with an inspiring walk to the beach.

know that this too shall pass...

i welcome your comments and feedback, email me at maria@destressessentials.com

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

TranquilT Treatment and Ayurveda

I was in Bethesda, MD last month when I heard about Tranquil Space, a hip lifestyle- focused Yoga studio. They had all these neat offerings aside from yoga so I eagerly signed up for 'ayurveda and thai yoga bodywork'. The best part of it was the ayurvedic (more on that below) consulatation. I learned what my particular dosha or body constitution was. Through a series of questions, Ann my bodyworker and ayurvedic expert, was able to conclude that I had dominant Vata elements -- space/ether and air elements. Not so suprising since travelling is not generous with balance, routine, and relaxation.

The consultation was followed by a thai yoga massage that was customized to balance my Vata. Ann also recommended I stay away from salads and cold food while travelling and eat warm solid foods to help stabilize my energy that is just all over the place!

The thai yoga bodywork combined massage, assisted yoga poses, acupressure, energy work, and meditation to unblock energy, relieve tension, and increase my body's natural ability to heal itself.

So what has this done for me? After leaving the session, the worries of traffic, work, where to be next -- all vanished. Vanished. I shed years. What this has also done for me is to remind myself to be more aware of what my body is telling me. I am stubborn so I ignore it when I should be doing opposite. We all could use a little reminder that we need to listen and to act wisely to what our body is telling us. We all have our unique quidance system. We just have to remember to tap into this free resource within each of us!

__________________________________
Here's what wikipedia has to say about Ayurveda. Click here to go to website.

Excerpt from Ayurveda workshop at Tranquil Space:
Ayurveda is an ancient holistic system of medicine and a sister science to yoga that seeks to improve one's emotional, energetic and physical well-being.

• Ayurveda believes that we are part of everything (of the entire universe) and are therefore made up of the same ‘stuff’ as the universe, i.e. of the basic elements that the universe is made of; Ayurveda names ether/space; air; fire; water; earth
• in the human body these come together as 3 body constitutions (doshas): Vata – Pitta - Kapha

space/ether and air fire and water water and earth

Vata Pitta Kapha

• we all have all three of these energies in us, but not in the same amount; naturally one or two will predominate
• which energies are dominant will have to be taken into account when we look at how to help a person find optimal health;
• this also means we are unique and presents a different approach to the body and healing; it explains why not the same things are good for everybody and makes it possible to understand and treat the individual
• therefore, the way our constitution is made up will determine how we can find balance in our life; i.e. a person who has a lot of Pitta/fire and maybe also some water/Kapha in their life will not want to add more of these elements to their life, but will want to find a way of living (lifestyle routines, diet) that balance their constitution – then we can live in harmony with ourselves, live our life to the fullest (developing our full potential), live in harmony with Nature/the environment and reconnect with Purusha.
• Robert Svoboda: Every human being is a unique individual, full of idiosyncrasies and peculiarities. Your most precious possession, your life, is yours and yours alone, unlike that of any other human being past, present or future. Each human being is a unique manifestation of Mother Nature, the Creative Energy of the universe. Each possesses an indwelling fragment of the Universal Soul. The message of the Vedas is that each of us mist find our own path to a life lived to the fullest, for only by making the most of ourselves can we repay to Nature the debt we owe Her for giving us life. The universe needs you to add your mite to the vast collective tapestry we call human civilization. You can make your fullest contribution to life only when you are healthy and health alone enables you to enjoy your life to the fullest in return.

Soy candles ... the healthy living candle

In honor of this past Earth Day, I'm talking SOY CANDLES.

But WHY soy candles?

Here are the facts...

Almost ALL candles around the world are made from paraffin wax. Paraffin is the left over residue from gasoline refining -yet Paraffin aromatherapy candles are presented to consumers as a health enhancing product!

The Dangers of Paraffin Wax Candles.

• Has been documented to contain 11 harmful carcinogens, 2 of which are toxic.
• Produces problematic petrol soot emissions - has been considered as harmful
as second hand tobacco smoke.
• Paraffin candles are not biodegradable or water-soluble
• Burns hotter and faster than soy wax candles
• May potentially harm your health, pollutes your indoor air quality and our environment
• Many still contain lead wicks - CAUTION

Soy is clearly a better choice because...

• Soy wax candles are 100% natural.
• They are made from soy bean products.
• They are a healthy alternative to petroleum based products.
• They are clean burning and no petrol soot to black walls.
• They are environmentally safe and biodegradable.
• They are non-toxic and safe for children and pets.
• They are hand crafted and made from 100% Soybean based wax.
• The wicks are all natural cotton
• They contain the highest quality essential oils

The great thing is they come in different aromatherapy scents and the soy candles burn cooler and longer than mainstream paraffin candles.

I have always enjoyed the ambience, warm environment and the scent throughout the house from paraffin candles. I didn't know any better. But after learning about the hazards of the most popular paraffin (petroleum based) wax, I am now seeking the healthier choice, the soy candle. They smell delicious and look so elegant that I can rest easy that my lungs will be healthier. It's a better world with soy!

Soylicious Soy Candles

Be well.
Maria
www.destressessentials.com