My new book! It’s ready!

Feb 27, 2024

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...

Continue Reading...

The Scintillating Conclusion to the 3 Part Series

Feb 20, 2024

…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...

Continue Reading...

3 Surprising Ways Yoga Helped Me on My Ski Weekend -Part 2

Feb 13, 2024

Perhaps you read about our adventurous ski weekend in last week’s instalment. If not, click here to hear about smoothie disasters, whiteout conditions and how yoga played a part in all of that.

This week, I wanted to share another surprising way that yoga helped me on the mountain with long, heavy fibreglass boards strapped onto my wildly uncomfortable boots. 

Over the course of the last 4 years, yoga has played a significant role in my life. I’ve been on the mat daily for sun salutations and have done 3-4 longer classes each week. 

One of the things I love about yoga is that it helps you develop an intimate and embodied relationship with your growth edge. 

In any given posture/asana, we’re encouraged to go to the edge and melt into it. You never want to push through that edge or override pain. You just want to become familiar with where it is and see what lies just on the other side. 

Because I’ve been there so many times on the mat, I...

Continue Reading...

3 Surprising Ways Yoga Helped Me on My Ski Weekend -Part 1

Feb 06, 2024

We just returned from a short and sweet trip to Banff with a day of skiing at Sunshine (with no sunshine to be had.)

Here's a collage for you:

The weekend was both magnificent and filled with growth opportunities - which is the best kind of travel, don’t you think?

As I contemplated the learnings and takeaways from the trip, I noticed that yoga played a big part (even though I only did my daily sun salutations and nothing out of the ordinary). 

The thing I love about the style of yoga I do (Body Awake Yoga® or BAY) is that it promises to improve one’s life both on and off the mat. This promise was very evident on our trip and so, of course, I have to share it with you!

I’ll break it up into 3 posts so that you don’t get overwhelmed. Today’s surprising way that yoga helped me on my ski weekend is this: 

BAY helps you approach life’s occurrences with “Grand Neutrality”

Grand neutrality means that you’re so connected...

Continue Reading...

This is the self-care your brain needs

Jan 30, 2024

It’s still January! There have been a lot of Tuesdays thus far... 5 in fact. What abundance!

Toward the end of the month, I always start looking forward to the next one because I love novelty and newness. If you’re the same way, February is just around the corner.

Speaking of novelty, did you know your brain thrives on it? To keep a healthy, functioning noggin, it’s important to purposefully build novelty into your life. When you do the same old, same old, your brain can easily fall into a rut and then your energy plummets as does your motivation. 

To stay energized, fresh and feeling fully alive, turn to novelty. It’s an amazing self-care practice. 

Here’s a little story for you about novelty

Last weekend, Paul, Zoe and I found ourselves with a free evening (which was a novelty in and of itself). We asked each other, “What do you want to do?” 

To avoid the ol’ “I don’t know... what do you want to...

Continue Reading...

The hidden benefits of softening on the inside

Jan 23, 2024

Today, I’m writing to you from a parking lot where we pulled over when got a flat tire on the way to the kids’ martial arts class. I popped them in an Uber so they’re all set, my husband is on his way from school in another Uber and I’m loving our heated seats and the warm laptop. (It’s -22 Celsius right now so I’m very grateful for all the layers I put on.)

Roadside assistance is booked (and has a wait time of 2 hours), so what better way to wait it out than to do some writing? 

Fortunately, I have a thermos full of hot water and some walnuts that just happen to be in the car. What an adventure!

Anyway, what I wanted to write about today are the benefits of softening on the inside. 

Several years ago, when I started learning from Dr Sue Morter, one of her promises was that by implementing what she taught, you would soften on the inside. Although that sounded good to me, I really had no frame of reference for what she meant.

Five...

Continue Reading...

A Self-Care MUST-HAVE for 2024

Jan 16, 2024

As we’re feeling into this brand-new year, I want to share with you the self-care must-have I could never go without.

If you’re expecting some lovely skin-care product or herbal tea, then think again because we’re going much deeper and broader. 

I love the idea that a single thought can change your life, so it’s more along those lines. 

The idea I’m going to share with you shortly has made my life better every single day for probably about 15 years. It’s helped me understand life more deeply, it’s helped me get to know myself more intimately and it’s even helped to explain the inexplicable. 

Ready for the big reveal?

The self-care must-have I’m talking about is (*play fanfare in your head) >>> determining a theme for the year. 

In case you're not yet wowed, let me explain. 

Themes - The How-To

A theme for the year is an overarching idea that becomes your guiding light. It’s almost like a...

Continue Reading...

The Antidote to Overwhelm

Jan 09, 2024

I’m still basking in the freshness of this spectacular new year. Are you? 

We got a fresh coat of snow over here so that’s helping.

Anyway, I’ve been thinking a lot about overwhelm lately because so many of my clients mention it as a major hurdle. 

On my freezing cold but very refreshing walk the other night under the stars, I reflected on how I almost never feel overwhelmed anymore.

Maybe in a given moment here or there if something really chaotic is happening, but I’ve noticed a distinct absence of overwhelm as a perpetual state of being. 

I was curious about what has shifted because that certainly didn’t use to be the case. As a high school teacher, Overwhelm was my middle name. I was overwhelmed for years!

As a young mom, pretty much everything in my world changed - except for the brand new and exciting experience of getting almost no sleep - and thus the overwhelm intensified. 

After a few years of that,...

Continue Reading...

How to find the delicate balance between holding on and letting go

Jan 02, 2024

Happy New Year!

I hope you’ve been having as much fun with year-end and new beginnings as we have over here.

Our Courageous Self-Care Conscious New Year’s Celebration was so sacred and special. Thank you to all who attended. 

On the home front, our family has been enjoying the mild winter weather during our daily walks and we’ve been taking as much downtime as possible.

We’ve been enjoying meals out (Indian and Thai are our favourites), movies and even a couple of rounds of bowling to ring in 2024. (Bowling is not my preferred way to spend time, but Oakley absolutely loves it and requested that we do that on New Year's Day. Zoe was in a benevolent mood and agreed that we should do some 10-pin and so it was.)

One movie that Oakley and I enjoyed was Christmas As Usual on Netflix. It’s a story about cultures colliding when a newly engaged couple tries to navigate the delicate balance between tradition (on the Norwegian side) and trying new things...

Continue Reading...

The ONLY Reason Tough Things Ever Happen

Dec 26, 2023

We just finished up our Year End Retrospective and wowee - it was amazing. An important part of reducing overwhelm is to pause and reflect on a regular basis.

If you weren’t able to join us, you can still get your hot little hands on the replay by registering for the event. Or maybe you’re doing your own kind of review. I highly recommend - for your sanity and satisfaction - to take stock of 2023 in some way before charging forward into the new year. 

As you reflect, here’s a concept that has helped me more deeply understand life and how it works. 

Challenges and growth opportunities, only ever happen for one reason and one reason only. 

Although it may not feel like it as you’re going through the challenge, tuck this little nugget in your snazzy back pocket: The challenges are happening for you. 

“Yes, Christina, I’ve already heard that before,” you might think. Stay with me, though, because there’s more to it than...

Continue Reading...
Close