Anticipation

I'm singing the Heinz ketchup commercial right now.  "Anticipation. An-tic-i- pa-a-tion.  It's making me wait.  It's keeping me wa-a-a-a-ting."  I think it's on youtube if you need a refresher.  I think I need to show it to my youngest son so he can fully understand why he couldn't fall asleep last night.  He went to the kitchen close to midnight deciding he was hungry.  So he ate.  Why couldn't he sleep?  One word.  Halloween. 

He awoke again  at 1:30 a.m. and I told him he must be having trouble sleeping because he's excited about his costume.   He exhaustingly said, "Yeah, I guess you're right," and finally caught some much needed zzz's.

Anticipation.  Waiting for something to happen.  Feeling the rush of your heart beat just a little bit faster, and feeling the heat of your body's temperature increase a bit.  Yes, I can relate.  I can relate in so many ways!  What this one word really means to me is missing the moment of NOW.  Missing the miracle that could have happened if I wasn't so focused on what's going to happen next.

Jack Kornfield was quoted as saying, "The restless waters of the lake appear to make the moon dance."  How great is it that my son is so excited about his costume (and I'll tell you at the end what it is, don't worry!)  How great is it that the restless waters helped to make the moon dance.  Every moment is perfectly perfect.  Every moment leads us, just like a bridge leading land to land, to that very next moment.  This becomes my prayer, my mantra, my ritual when I'm not getting the sleep I thought that I desperately needed as I watch my son sit with his rapidly beating heart.   Letting go.  Being.  That's the beauty of seeing the world in this manner.  Insomnia was the bridge to what's yet to come for this Halloween weekend.

For those inquiring minds, my son's costume is a "Failed Math Test."  Last night he wrote in black ink on 2 pieces of board math equations, filled with mistakes.  In red ink, he wrote his "teacher comments,"  one of which said that the person had to "...go back to preschool and stay there forever."  My son found his voice and his ability to self express.  I am so tickled for him to wear this to the school sponsored Halloween Carnival (along with the hat I made for him with a glued eraser and pencil on it).  And with the anticipation that will come when school is relased and we're waiting to leave for the night, I will chant the words, "This moment is perfectly perfect."

And, of course, I throw in a few deep breaths.

Happy Halloween!

Lisa

Pregnancy Welcoming and Blessing

Every day my world is different. I wake up and after meditating (yes, sometimes in the shower) I have to check my calendar to see what's on the plate for the day. I swear, sometimes my friends know my schedule better than me!

But that day was different. I woke up knowing I was going to facilitate a Pregnancy Blessing for a mom that I have been with for both of her pregnancies, only this time she asked me to come to her Baby Shower.

It was 30 minutes of bliss. I knew most of the women there because they became friends with baby #1 at my prenatal class over three years ago. They, and their first borns are all bonded. And I equate it to the yoga experience! Those babies knew what was going on as they were growing their mama's wombs.

Today marked the day of celebration for this mama who wanted more than the average open the gift saying,"Oh, thanks for the Diaper Genie" kinda thing. Instead, she let me be in charge of every detail of our time together. She trusted that everything would be perfectly perfect. And it was.

I created a special table of things that have special meaning in my life, that the women around could sense their special-ness. I laid out:
~a cloth from my husband's mom,
~a rock from the earth that was made by a friend
~ a little pink patch of a blanket knitted with love by a friend when I went for surgery to repair my torn ACL
~"Lucy", my pregnant gorilla friend made by a talented midwife named Pam England
~some white sand from Hermosa Beach
~2 painted hearts to represent Mom and Baby
~ a statue of a birthing mama squatting to birth her little baby

All these things were powerful, profound and oh, so very real.

I wrapped this sweet mama with veils of fabric and lace so that she could feel like a Queen for the day.

Each woman brought up a flower and gave this mama words of strength and power to bring with her to the birth room. I then led us all in a group meditation where each woman put a hand on their sweet pregnant friend. I asked us all to send love, love and more love through our hands and into her heart.

It all seemed to work. I have been thanked for making this mom's Baby Shower more special than she ever could have imagined. It has to be all my year's of training and working on myself. How could you give something away that you haven't received in your own life yet? And, for me, I have received so many blessings from so many people. It just feels so nice to give back now and share all the love.

I look forward to the day I can do this again, and again, and again for someone who wants to make her friend/sister/daughter's baby shower oh so special....

In bliss,

Lisa

Art that Fills Your Soul

Sometimes we just have to pause. To reflect upon what's truly important in our lives. To take stock. And I have been doing just that. You see, I would feel lost without art. There's so much of it. Whether we're driving down the street, reading a book, visiting a museum... it's all around us.
It's even in the faces of those that we love. Our job is to notice.

These last few weeks I have had such gratitude in my heart for the artwork that has been created on our local Lifeguard Stations. Portraits of Hope is an amazing organization that brought neon colors representative of peace to Los Angeles County. And, they're about to take it all down and return the lifeguard stations to their original form.
Oh, how my heart saddens.

So began my mission to see if we could keep this art for a little longer. You see, in Southern California, we just didn't have the opportunity to enjoy this art, given our sunshine-"less" days this past summer. There weren't as many treks to the beach. Not as many volleyball matches. Not as many surfing encounters. All due to our weather. This means that all the locals (and the tourists visiting) found other things to do. It means that our children didn't have as much opportunity to feel inspired by the lifeguard station artwork and all of its glory.

I created a Facebook Fan Page entitled, "Keep the LifeGuard Stations Artwork for 1 More Year." If you feel called to become a fan, just go to your own Facebook page, do a search of this group and click "like". Or, try clicking on the following link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Keep-Lifeguard-Stations-Art-for-1-more-Year/110374029022445?ref=ts&v=wall

Through this mission I have contacted local officials. I have spoken with the residents. I have helped to create a movement of folks that are so thankful for this art that, like me, fills their souls.

Sometimes we can only put our best foot forward, and then let the universe take over in order to decide where the magic will unfold. For local folks in the Beach Cities there will be a story highlighting our attempts to save the Tower Art in "The Beach Reporter". Check in this Thursday's edition! Already, a local contractor in Hermosa Beach, Rick Koenig, has expressed interest in saving all the Hermosa Beach, CA towers. Maybe more contractors will step up in our surrounding beach communities!

For today, what's in my control is to take my family down to the beach and be photographed in front of some of the stations. These memories will last a lifetime for generations to come. And who knows where the next art will be that will move me the way Portraits of Hope did, and still does.

What inspires you to be called into action? What art is right in front of YOU that you may be taking for granted? Bless it. Bless the moments all around you, for they are there for the taking!

Lisa

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Meditation to Eliminate Pain

I filed away an email that a fellow colleague had sent me. I finally read it and now realize why I hadn't deleted it. The article was about a study that revealed how meditating can reduce the feeling of pain. Why? Because our brains are able to anticipate the feeling of pain less.*

Where I live, I don't meet people in my every day life that tell me, "Oh, yeah, I meditate all the time! It's so easy!" Nope. Rather the opposite. I find that I meet people who are stressed and use some kind of external source to find relaxation, be it exercise, food, alcohol, etc..

I've done all those things. Yet, the feeling I have when I meditate is one that comes from deep witin. From a place that I can't explain. I don't feel like I need all those external "things" to fill me up. And, oh...I am so at peace.

So this idea of pain: this is what I've been thinking about. With the many different types of clients that I serve, it truly doesn't matter why they are coming to me. They all have "pain" of some sort. Pain over wanting to conceive a baby. Pain over being cleated on the soccer field which now requires surgery. Pain over the loss of a loved one. Pain, pain, pain. It's all around us. We've all experienced it. And this is why I can't just hold myself to serving one population of people. It doesn't matter to me who you are and what circumstances led you to me (or me to you!) What matters is that we all begin to figure out ways (in this oh-so-fast-paced world) to SLOW our minds down and live in the way research is just now proving to be the BEST way to live.

So meditate. There are so many ways to meditate, but here's one way to start if you've never done so before:
Light a candle and set a timer for five minutes. Sit and close your eyes. Listen to your breath as you breathe in and out. If your mind starts to tell you that you need to cancel your dentist appointment, then be sure you have a pen and paper nearby. Jot down that thought (and any other) and return to your breath. Your breath has always been there for you, waiting to fill your lungs more deeply with oxygen. Picture all the goodness that you're doing for your body, your mind and your SOUL. Before you know it, that timer will go off!

I love what I do. I love helping people find their place of peace (and having them realize it was always there to greet them).

Happy mediating!

Lisa

*"Meditation reduces the emotional impact of pain." June 2nd, 2010. www.physorg.com/news194691626.html

Does Counseling Work?

I always ask my clients, whether it's taking a yoga class for the first time, eating a new veggie (hey, we do this with our kids, right?), or going to counseling, to give it 4 sessions before making a decision as to whether it's working or not. Has anyone really liked kale after the first try? :)

That said, there are so many different kinds of counselors out there.
You are always welcome to ask questions/interview a therapist to see if there's "chemistry", or the therapist is "in line" with what you are looking for.
I just had a client that felt after 2 sessions with me we just weren't a fit. I told her that I respected her for knowing what she wanted and we bid farewell. I've also had (strangely, in the last 3 months) clients that did a piece of work and have now returned, saying they are "ready" to go into their "stuff" more.
I know that when I first started my practice in 1996 I didn't have all the tools I have now when working with clients. And one of those tools is just paying attention to whether we breathe when we talk. Paying attention to getting air in can do wonders when we're feeling anxious/down. I love watching how (as babies) we breathe like frogs! The whole side-ribs expand and the breath is like a wind tunnel. Then... life happens and we shut down that wind tunnel. I love watching how clients can choose to breathe no matter what happens around them.
This I have learned in my own therapy. As well, my own therapy has helped me to be sure I'm not projecting onto my clients the stuff that really belongs to me.
Therapy CAN feel good. You can even look forward to the time that you chose to carve out of your day to grow more. Therapy can feel like going to get fuel for your engine. It helps you tick. You can put your engine in the garage and then take it out for another "spin around the block." The point is (I think) that you are the only one that knows if you need counseling. You are the only one that knows if you feel happy inside (and don't need the "thing" or external source to get you there). You are the only one that can decide what's right for you!
Just being an active particpant in this journey of life, being aware, being all that you can be is what the world needs most. (I think I hear that song entitled, "What the World Needs Now is Love Sweet Love." Help me if that's not the right title!)

Happy day,
Lisa
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Play Off Perspective

Whether you have a child playing baseball, soccer, football or lacrosse, this time of year usually entails some sort of Play-Off experience, ultimately ending with the Championship team walking away with a trophy. Below is an article I wrote for the local little league, but many of the principles involved apply to any sports team. Please read it and continue to help me promote mindful and conscious playing out on the ball field/s.

Lisa



"Sometimes a hitter gets a hit, sometimes I strike them out, but in neither case does anyone die." ~ Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez



Anyone walking by the ball field, you can sense the pressure or anxiety that our kids feel during play-off season. Some of it is of their own doing, and some is from the adults! How can we insure that our kids can be kids and just play ball?



Perhaps we have to go back to that old-fashioned Parent Pledge that was created at the Little League National Level. Here it is:



I will teach all children to play fair and do their best.
I will positively support all managers, coaches and players.
I will respect the decisions of the umpires.
I will praise a good effort despite the outcome of the game.



Here's our chance to put into practice what other communities take to heart. Why? Because we want our kids to WANT to return to this beloved sport next year. And... we don't want to have a story like they did in Port Lucie, FL where their local headline read:



"Spectator Bites off Man’s Ear at Youth Baseball Game.”



Why did this happen? The story discussed how a losing ball player began to yell obnoxiously. A fan on the opposing team hit him, and ball player's dad attacked that fan. In doing so, the dad bit the fan's ear! During this event, a nine month old was knocked out of her mother's arms!

Is this what we want our baseball community to be about? I ask because it's happening all around us. Have you ever witnessed a parent getting a little loud? A little too critical?



There was a 1995 report that said 5% of a crowd of parents would become problematic during a sporting event. The percentage increased to 15% five years later! (taken from Nat'l Alliance for Youth Sports). Things are getting a bit out of hand, shall we say! It's only until we realize that when the kids are noticing our behavior, and modeling themselves after what they see, can we begin to make change/s for ourselves...for the better. Let's have our Hermosa sports' community be of the 5%, and not the 15%!



Just for today...let's be thankful that we have an umpire who is willing to call the game, coaches that volunteer their time, and lollipops to use if we can't find anything positive to say!