COURAGE TO BE

Life is full of surprises and 2013 truly blessed me with so many OMazing experiences. My chaHAhallenges this year were to:

1.    stay in my pleasure from MOMent to MOMent

2.    have the courage to laugh at myself and;

3.     have the courage to LAUGH OUT LOUD just BEcause I can.

Looking Back at 2013 - I am grateful for:

 

1.    Travel to Ecuador where I met the country’s President in Quito, and visited Vilcabamba, the Valley of Longevity and stayed at an Artist Sanctuary in MonteSuenos.

2.    My first Calle Ocho right here in Little Havana. 

3.    A culinary getaway with LoverBoy to the Dominican Republic. 

4.    A week in Montreal to help my parents after my Dad's surgery (he is now in remission from colon cancer).

5.    A week in Texas to help my sister-in-law after her surgery and hang out with my little brother and my niece and nephew. 

   6.    A romantic getaway to Vieques, Puerto Rico    with LoverBoy.  

   7.    A return to Camp after all these years – five     days of OMazing women at Camp     Empowerment in Orange Springs, Florida.

   8.    A long weekend of pleasure and play in South Beach with 500 SisterGoddesses.

9.    2 road trips to Tampa to celebrate my nieces' birthdays and visit Big Cat Preserve and BooZoo.

10.          A weekend in Washington, D.C. to further my education and immerse myself in Money Yoga with a Sisterhood of Sacred Busyness Women.

This was a year of firsts and major accomplishments:

1.           I organized and led a RawFood Retreat here in Hollywood, Florida where I added laughter stress relief to raw foods education. 

2.           As the Organizer of the Raw FoodMeetups - Fort Lauderdale, I scouted fabulous venues and hosted 10 Raw Food Potlucks.

       3.           As the Organizer of FlashMobs Miami, I                  organized and participated in 7 FlashMobs.

       4.  I took my first flying class and flew a Cessna 172 (that's WSM Noahaha in the back - scared)

   

       5.     I wrote 52 HAhappy Monday newsletters - techniques for healthy habits for a haHAppy mind.

6.           I led 120 laughter yoga circles and participated in 36 more led by our own SisterGoddess Barbara.  (see our pics here)

7.           I laughed with a fabulous group of women at a Breast Cancer Retreat.

8.           I laughed with numerous SisterGoddesses in many different women’s circles (thank you SisterGoddess Ada, SisterGoddess Zeina, SisterGoddess Rachel)  - woohoo

9.           WSM Noah and I participated and laughed at Peace in the Park here in Hollywood, Florida

10.           I led my first two New Moon Goddess Gatherings and have 10 more  scheduled in 2014 (thank you SisterGoddess Lina)

11.       I will have my parents here for the last day of 2013 and for the first few months of 2014.

This was a year of loss:

1.   3 of my neighbors passed away

2.   3 of my neighbors moved away

3.    My cat Zeko, my LittleMan, passed away after 15 wonderful years together

Allen Klein, author of The Courage to Laugh:  Humor in Death and Dying shares:  "no matter what kind of life-challenging adversity people are facing, humor, like prayer, provides hope. In both laughter and prayer, we go beyond the world as we know it, transcending our predicament.  We may not like the situation we are in, but whereas anger may draw us into our dilemma, a chuckle, like a prayer, can help us rise above it."

Laughing reminds us that we can still feel joy.  When coping is overwhelming, communication at a standstill and connecting is difficult - laughter provides us with a means to bridge the gap.   Whether planned or When we laugh - we create a distance from our problem and it helps us keep our balance.  It doesn't change our situation but it does change how we view it.

Laughter takes our mind off our troubles.  It diverts our attention and gives us a break when things get too difficult.  It distracts us and keeps us occupied so that time, if nothing else, can heal our wounds.

This was a year of new:

1.     Meeting peeps with similar interests and like minds

2.     Visiting countries and places that make my 

        soul hahappy

3.     Discovering muscles and strengthening my body

4.     Had professional photos taken with my girlfriends (this was so much fun, we'll be doing it again and again)

I loved going back through my calendar and seeing what 2013 looked like and reminiscing on the OMazing MOMents in my life.  It brought me such joy to see what transpired in my life. 

As another year comes to a close, I can’t help but feel so grateful for all of my blessings. My family, my amazing friends, and of course, all of the peeps who came out and laughed and danced and uncooked with me.   

I am so looking forward to 2014 and shining my light bright and playing big.  I look forward to revealing exciting new things hahahappening to me and WSM NOahaha in the next few months.  

WHAT I KNOW TO BE TRUE:  When I share ME, I give others permissions to share themselves, delve a little deeper, loosen the layers, scratch beyond the surface so we can truly connect.

The more I am a LOVEcat the more my relationships blossoms and our conversations deepen.   When I have the courage to open up and shaHAhare, the more OMazing my life becomes.

I am so grateful to be able to share myself and my experience and haha and hugs with you.  I love the feedback - the email, FaceBook and text love notes from you that inspire me to keep on shaHAring and being the LoveCat that I am.

We wish you lots of love and laughter in 2014 and a soul nourishing and joyful New Year's Eve however you choose to express yourself.

Wishing you,

Peace & Love, Just Because,

GODDESS & NOahaha

Relaxing the Stress Away

Welcome to the holiday season -- that whirlwind of gift-giving festivities, parties and activities galore that begins right after Halloween, builds a crescendo on Thanksgiving, and continues gaining momentum right through the end of the year.

While this season is meant to bring feelings of love and cheer, for many, the holiday season is a time of stress. There are just so many things to do and a limited time to complete them. 

If you're one of those people feeling more frazzled than festive, taking the time to use a few relaxation strategies can really reduce stress over the holidays.  

Learn to Relax Your Breathing

One of the best, and simplest, ways to calm your nerves when you’re feeling tense or anxious is to practice more mindful breathing. 

Deep breathing activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which induces the relaxation response.

Just stop whatever you are doing and take a deep breath in and exhaHAle - Aaaaaaah. Take another long deep breath in and consciously release any tension that has crept into your body.  With each inhale and exhale we relax the muscles in our body one at a time.   Another deep breath in and release it with a sound.  A MOMent like this can reset our timing and give us more balance. 

Laughing your Way Through

One of the best, and simplest, ways to calm your nerves when you’re feeling tense is by using our built-in mechanism for relaxation.  Laughter provides emotional satisfaction as well as physiological benefits and relaxation.    In order to laugh - the diaphragm takes a deep inhalation followed by a rhythmic exhalation.  We equalize the pressure in the abdominal and chest cavities and give our internal organs a massage.

Putting the Holidays Into Perspective

Perhaps more than anything, the key to enjoying and relaxing during the holidays may  be in the way you perceive them. Adjusting your attitude and your expectations can help turn an otherwise stressful holiday into a relaxing one. So when stress threatens to take over the show, here are a few more tips that can help you keep your sense of balance and calm during the holidays:

• Be gentle with yourself, and give yourself permission to say “No.” It really is okay to take special time for yourself. If the holidays have you feeling down for whatever reason, indulge in the things that make you feel happy, whether they’re holiday related or not.
• Seek out positive people who make you feel better, and avoid people who add to your stress or contribute to your depression.
• Focus on what you and your family want to do for the holidays instead of what other families are doing.  Create your own rituals and celebrate this season.

Here is a yummy video of my favorite space in the world and her sounds to help you release the stress and relax into who you are:

DARING GREATLY

I've been dealing with a lot of grief this year.   My LittleMan Zeko left his little body behind.  Two of my neighbours passed away.  Major illness in the family and lots of change of plans.  At times, it would have been easy to hide and keep it all inside.   Writing about it and sharing this with my HAHA tribe has helped me tremendously in processing all my feelings - sadness, shame, regret, joy, exhilaration, confusion, pain, gratitude, trepidation and discomfort.

Through it all, I keep on laughing.  I keep seeking what is juicy and true for me.  I delve deep to find my sacred impenetrable spot within - where I find joy and peacefulness - and share it all - with you.   Sometimes, I think perhaps I am sharing TMI - too much information.  Sometimes, I think this is so very personal - no one will understand and they'll think I'm bat shit crazy (thank you SisterGoddess Tara Gentile and Tedx).  

Feelings are oh so deep. HArdwired.  A current running through you and taking control of your muscles - melting me with its heat and intensity.  Like Laughter.  When it erupts, I have no choice but to lean in and let the vibration rock my body.   And it feels so good.

I've learned to LEAN IN (thank you SisterGoddess Cheryl Sandberg) and BREATHE.  I sit right on the edge of my body boundaries and expand my heart.  I BREATHE into the feelings and the sensations hahappening in my body.  I pay attention and connect with my body's wise ways.  I listen to what my lower back is sharing about the tension I am experiencing.  And my belly contracting as she rides a wave of fear.  I BREATHE and connect hands on heart to hear her beat - steady and strong.

I surrender to this process of feeling and delve deep into the abundance of emotions I have.  And I express in whatever way I can.  I paint.  I pray.  I write.  I play.  I sing.  I plant.  I practice.  I repeat.

I research techniques to help me chahange the chahannel when I feel stuck.  I embody the feelings and move them through me by shakti shaking and dancing.  I use music to switch gears and shift vibrations.  I connect with a SisterGoddess and serve.  I hold sacred space to listen and love and learn.

The OMazing thing about being vulnerable is how good it feels to FEEL.  To express and release.   To share the good, the bad and the ugly and bring it to the surface and flip it over so it can be transmuted and metamorphosized like a caterpillar to a butterfly.    Daring Greatly is to embrace vulnerability and imperfection and to live wholeheartedly and to courageously engage in our lives.  Simply put, to put my whole self in.

As quoted from Brene Brown's book, Daring Greatly:

As “I define vulnerability as uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure. With that definition in mind, let’s think about love. Waking up every day and loving someone who may or may not love us back, whose safety we can’t ensure, who may stay in our lives or may leave without a moment’s notice, who may be loyal to the day they die or betray us tomorrow — that’s vulnerability.”

3 Ways 2 Release Body Tension

Body tension - that tightening and discomfort that comes from opposing muscle groups contracting simultaneously.  The firmness of the body when we are used to flexibility can be painful.  Sometimes we are so overwhelmed and tired we forget what we are feeling and disconnect from what the body is trying to tell us.  It is the result of feeling stuck or out of alignment - body, mind and soul.

Pleasure is the sensation of being fully alive, with our senses alert and eager. Pleasure is our natural state; it happens when we allow ourselves to feel and function with a spontaneous unconditional BEing of WE. We don't create it; we get out of its way and give it permission to radiate from inside of us.

Pleasure connects us to a world of physical sensations and feelings. Our bodies want to feel pleasurable sensations constantly -- touching, stretching, breathing deeply, dancing, smelling, tasting.   Everything we do is motivated by a desire for pleasure.  Whether we are pursuing love, a better job, a bigger home - or a good piece of dark chocolate - what we want is the pleasure that we believe will come from that taste or feeling, the experience - the emotional high.

Pleasure makes us feel good - gets the endorphins flowing.  It also helps our brain.  As our blood pressure decreases and we feel relaxed, we concentrate more easily and learn more quickly in an atmosphere of joy and fun.

We can achieve pleasure in virtually any situation. Simple delights are everywhere: a pretty flower, a colorful bird, an intriguing book, the texture of a chair's cushion - ah, music.   Whenever we quiet our mental activity, our senses are quick to find a source of pleasure.   We might even feel that the world is a playground, and life is a game.  Some sort of Heaven on Earth.

Here are 3 pleasureFULL healing rituals to release body tension easily:

1. LAUGH - Laugh out Loud - all the way from deep in your belly - you know, when it just snorts up your nose and makes you contract for a MOMent of surprise until the breath bursts out of you - a flow of sound of mirth.  YUM

2. MOVE -  Stretch.  Shake it all out.  Do the Hokey Pokey.  Dance like you have ants in your pants.  Any type of movement will do.  The body is in pleasure when it gets to work in fun.   Wiggle your toes, clap your hands, move to the groove (see Irresistible Offers above).  Just put your whole self in and have fun - let loose - from your head to your toes including your nose.

3. SING - sing a song - make a sound - chaHAnt.  It's so good for the heart.  It resonates and reverberates in your bones and makes you melt in a soft yummy lovey way.  This weekend I had the pleasure of learning some sanskrit and singing its sound.    OM.  AUM.  Yum.

A daily pleasure practice of 10 minutes a day sculpts powerFULL muscles.  It helps us research to our full pleasure potential.   According to Stella Resnick, author of The Pleasure Zone, we have a fixed ceiling on how pleasure we can tolerate.  Since the benefits of pleasure include feeling good about ourselves, experiencing great physical health and emotional fulfillment - it's time to shahatter our self imposed limitations and expand our pleasure potential.  Pleasure beyond measure.

Gratitude EnerCHI and its rewards

This Thanksgiving started out bittersweet.   My parents are in Montreal dealing with medical issues, my LittleMan ZekoMeow just passed away and some of my nieces were away for the holydays.   Yet, we were 12 strong for Thanksgiving this year - 3 children, 3 dogs, and 8 adults.   We celebrated by being together and eating a lavish meal and by playing the A-Z Gratitude Game.  This is when we call out things and people that we are grateful for in our lives as we go through the whole alphabet.   

As I sat there with one niece on my lap and another by my side and my LoverBoy across from me and my SoulMama and my great Auntie Sylvia and even our family dogs (thank you GingerMama and Kaida and Keltie) - an unexpected thought welled up from my heart:  I am so blessed to be here right now.  Suddenly, I felt lucky to have the time to be with my family, to listen and share and laugh and create moments and memories. 

I felt even more grateful for the delicious weather we are experiencing which allowed us to sit on the back patio and be with the trees and green foliage.  Grateful for playing madlibs with my nieces and nephew, grateful for the hot water and soap as I was cleaning up dishes, grateful for the abundance and variety of food at our table this year, grateful for our family as the kids grow up and interact more with the adults, grateful to be walking the dogs in a family pack.  

Gratitude is a powerful transformative practice that creates all sorts of abundance and happiness in your world.  It also shifts your energy in subtle, and OMazing ways.  Psychologists Robert Emmons of U.C. Davis and Michael McCullough of the University of Miami have found that practicing gratitude can actually improve our emotional and physical well-being. Their ongoing Research Project on Gratitude and Thankfulness has found that people who keep weekly gratitude journals had fewer physical symptoms, exercised more, had a better outlook on life and were more likely to reach their goals. People with neuromuscular disease who practiced daily gratitude "had more high-energy positive moods," felt more connected to others, and felt more positive about life in comparison to a control group.

"Practicing gratitude helps people extract the most out of life," Emmons says. "People can also experience an overall shift to a more benevolent view of the world. I think it's kind of a spiritual shift for some people because it makes them more aware of life as a gift."

Gratitude creates changes at the emotional and mental levels, and also changes your body at a cellular level.  

Here are 3 reasons gratitude shifts energy and the OMazing perspective of AbunDANCE it creates:

1. Shifts your focus to the present moment. Even though the actions, or experience, you might feel grateful for occurred in the past the energy of gratitude is present moment focused. Gratitude shifts your state of being, as you focus on the infinite flow of goodness pouring through you. The present moment is where everything IS! It connects you to what’s true, to the dynamic aliveness of right now… the best place to BE!

2. Creates a new orientation.  Gratitude raises the altitude of our lives. The positive focus and easy flow of energy become the new YOU. You experience incredible resilience in being able to navigate the stumbling blocks of everyday living. Gratitude propels you out of anything that no longer resonates with you and creates a new story of your joy and pleasure.

3. Establishes an indelible partnership with Source. There is nothing that will make your connection to the Source of Life more real, than experiencing gratitude. Your focus on gratitude expands your bandwidth of feeling, sensing and knowing.  There is nothing better than to experience gratitude in your body being and know that you ARE connected to this abundant and loving universe.

Gratitude opens the gates of tenderness - and lets our heart feel even deeper.  I make a conscious effort to practice gratitude daily in some small way. When I do, I feel much more connected with the flow of life, instead of isolated and alone in my own struggles and fears.

Here are 3 ways to stay in an attitude of gratitude and build this greatFULL muscle:

1. Practice even when you don't feel like it. 

"One of the mistakes people often make in our culture is thinking you have to feel grateful to practice gratitude," says psychologist Miriam Greenspan, author of Healing Through the Dark Emotions: The Wisdom of Grief, Fear, and Despair. "You can practice anytime—when you feel sorrow, great anxiety over a parent's imminent death, if you have a disabled child. Whatever one can muster at these points as a prayer of gratitude—okay, I'm still breathing, or I have friends who care about me—tips the experience from being immersed unmindfully in one's suffering to moving into the present moment with a more holistic perspective. We see that there is suffering, but there is also this gratitude, and we can hold them together."

2. Make thank-you your mantra. 

Every moment offers an opportunity for thanks, says Nancy Hathaway, senior dharma teacher at the Kwan Um Zen School and a family mindfulness consultant in Blue Hill, Maine. She uses "thank-you" as a mantra to return to the present moment. "On the first day of spring, I was raking the gravel off the grass. It was hard, and I was starting to complain to myself," Hathaway says. "When I caught myself thinking, I switched over to 'thank you.' I remembered I really wanted to rake, and I wanted springtime. Gratitude practice for me is about letting go of thinking and welcoming in the present moment."

3. Imagine what life would be like WITHOUT a certain blessing in your life.

This is a great reflective exercise if you’re the type of person who tends to take things and people for granted. My mom and I practice this when she just can't find anything to be grateful for.  We imagine not having hands or eyes or the use of our feet.  We start appreciating what we take for granted.  This could be a person, where we live, the weather, a gift or talent we hav, the members of our family that are still alive today, the fresh air we breathe, the water we bathe in or even the electricity that allows me to type this column today.

Gratitude reminds us that we are all One - spiritual beings having a human experience on this Heaven on Earth right here right now.