Is there a part of you that likes to secretly eavesdrop?

I certainly have one!

If you feel the same way, here's a provocative little conversation where you can be a fly on the wall:

Wise Human: Do you think global peace is possible?

Young Grasshopper (also a human - don’t let the title of grasshopper lead you astray): Mmmm…. Yes? I think so.

Wise Human: I see. I admire your optimism. Would you say you’re peaceful in all of your relationships?

Young Grasshopper: Ha ha ha! No - definitely not. 

WH: Not even in your own family?

YG: Nope. Some of those relationships are the most challenging. There are people in my family who really push my buttons.

WH: If you don’t feel peaceful in your most intimate relationships, how could you ever hope for global peace?

YG: Good point. 

WH: What about your relationship with yourself?

YG: What about it?

WH: Do you feel peaceful about yourself most of the time? Some of the time? Rarely? Do you feel relaxed and calm,...

With everything that’s going on in the world right now, I hear a lot of people saying that they wish they could do something. 

Guess what? You can!

Even though it seems like some events are very far away and you can’t do much beyond making a donation here and there, energetically, you can do A LOT. 

The interesting thing about energy is this: if you send out thoughts of worry, despair, fear, anger or anything similar, you’re actually contributing to more of the same. 

There’s an ancient practice that’s part of the teaching of yoga (which doesn’t just happen on the mat) called Pradyahara. It means withdrawing of the senses. 

When big things are happening in the outer world, if you join in at the same level of vibration (namely fear, anger, worry, etc), you energetically add to the challenges and obstacles.

Although it seems counterintuitive, if you withdraw your senses from the turmoil and go inward, you move into the energies...

Ever feel overwhelmed?

If yes, I get it. I felt overwhelm tapping on my shoulder this week.

I have a lot on the go. I bet you do too. 

And yet, I didn’t go there. (No thank you Overwhelm, I can’t come out to play. Because it won’t be fun.)

Here are 3 ways that kept overwhelm from overwhelming me. 

Tip #1

Love Not Fear

First of all, I don’t get scared of overwhelm. I love it instead. 

I say, “Part of me that is heading toward overwhelm, I love you. I accept that you’re here. Thank you for getting my attention. I’m pouring love into you now because I’m practicing loving all the parts of myself unconditionally, you included.”

If you’re not quite at love yet, you can start with just accepting it. 

When you take this loving approach, you’ll find that the overwhelm (or anything else that shows up) just melts because all it wanted was your attention in the first place. *And it will take more than...

Thanks to the work I do with the wonderful Year of Miracles program, I get to hear world-renowned speakers share their messages several times a month. 

Most recently, I heard Jack Canfield give a talk and he made a few points that I’ve been contemplating. 

*Except I haven't been contemplating by the ocean at sunset. More like contemplating looking at the snow in my backyard. 

1- Stop being who you’re not

He shared that kids are really good at being who they are. For example, kids are generous. They will share whatever they have with whoever shows up. 

Imagine if we kept that up as adults. I think a lot of problems would be solved. 

Kids are also energetic because they’re tuned into universal energy. They don’t resist it, they just let it pour through. 

Your words are important here. If you go around saying that you’re tired all the time, guess what? You can have what you say and your words are powerful. 

Instead of...

I just got back from a little unexpected voyage to the wilds of British Columbia where it’s already spring! It was such a wonderful preview (now that I’m back in full-on winter conditions). Here's a vibrant memory.

While I was there, I woke up in the middle of the first night to something that shocked me - a slightly sore throat. 

I never get sick so I almost went into denial but that’s never helped in the past so that was not a viable option.

I was a little dismayed because I’d left my propolis and goldenseal at home (our family’s go-to’s for immune boosting). My mind worked out a slightly hazy plan whereby I could order them online and have them within a day or two. 

However, I didn’t want to wait a day or two (nor did I want to get on a screen in the middle of the night), and I wanted to take immediate action because the sooner you deal with a sore throat, the better. Here are the steps that did the trick. 

Step 1

I had...

Quick announcement before we begin: 

The Courageous Self-Care 1/4 Year Review is coming up this Saturday. It’s an excellent opportunity to 

>pause 

>collect yourself and ground 

>see what’s working for you

> identify areas for improvement

>acknowledge and celebrate your progress 

and then to look forward with all that great information and energy so that you can head into the next 3 months feeling fresh, clear and uplifted. 

I absolutely love doing these reviews and I hope you’ll be able to join us. 

Click here for more info and to register

Now, let’s head over to the waiting room. If you missed why we ended up there, check out this blog. 

Zoe (my daughter) had her elbow surgery last week (thank you to everyone who sent good vibes her way) and so Paul and I got to wait and wait and wait some more. 

Although there was a part of my mind that wanted to worry, I chose to do other things...

First off, the end of the first quarter of the year is upon us. Wowee!

Although that might sound like a financial-fiscally-type thing, I’m more interested in growth, expansion, celebration and conscious intention setting. (There won’t be a spreadsheet in sight!)

That’s why I’m once again hosting the Courageous Self-Care 1/4 Year Review. These reviews are the antidote to overwhelm and an effective way to turn your inner critic into a supportive superfan. 

For more details, see the Christina Recommends section further down.

And now onto the main event for today’s message: The Surprise in Letting Go

Have you heard the expression that attachment is the root of all suffering?

When I first learned about that concept, I thought it referred to an attachment to things or people. 

Although that’s definitely part of it, what I’ve learned since is that it’s our attachment to our thoughts that really causes the suffering… being...

It’s been a week.

And the silver lining is that I got to practice staying in my own energy.

For all you parents/caregivers out there, I would hazard to say that you’ve gotten to experience the emotional roller coaster when your beloved child is in pain - either physical or emotional. 

One of the best skills I’ve learned is how to stay in my own energy amidst chaos. 

Benefits of Staying in Your Own Energy

Why would you want to do that, you might ask?

Well, when you stay in your own energy, you’re better able to: 

>make level-headed decisions 

>refrain from adding to the stress/worry/fear 

>be of benefit to everyone around you by being grounded and centred 

I’m going to share with you a small fraction of our tumultuous week and then we’ll go into the 3 simple ways to stay in your energy. Ready?

The Week 

Last week, Paul and I gave some sessions at the Teachers’ Convention in Red Deer, Alberta. Since...

Gather round, everyone. I have an announcement to make. Ready? Feeling gathered?

After 13 years (or maybe even more - the timeline is a little fuzzy because 13 years ago my kids were very young and I was very tired a lot of the time) my new children’s book is finally ready! 

Why did it take 13 years to publish a children’s book you might ask?

Let me paint the picture for you

In 2011, I was fairly new to the worlds of personal development and spiritual growth. I knew a lot about professional development and had a desire to become a better person but that was about it.

I had recently invested in a year-long program with Peak Potentials and through that, I (surprisingly) ended up with my first life coach. (I didn’t even know that was a thing until - poof - I had one!)

That coach introduced me to things like meditation and setting intentions. I diligently got up at 5am every morning for an hour of going within. Why so early? Because I was trying to get up earlier...

…of 3 Surprising Ways Yoga Helped Me on My Ski Weekend

Although my ski weekend of early February now feels like ancient history, we have arrived at the final installment of I wanted to share with you about the wonders of Body Awake Yoga (BAY). 

As previously mentioned in Part 1 and Part 2, on our little ski trip, I was wearing new-to-me equipment, but just to be clear, the gear was anything but new. In fact, I was wearing my mom’s boots and skis that were made approximately 4 decades ago.

The skis are retro orange, white and blue Volkls that are so old they’re back in style. They are ramrod straight (no parabolic features in sight) and they weigh approximately the same as a fully grown St Bernard. 

The boots used to be white (did you know ski boots can fade if they’re old enough?!?) and the velcro straps are devoid of velcro. I had to tie them and tuck them in the boots!

Why didn’t I rent newer equipment from this century you might ask? Good...