10 Ways to Lighten Up: Body + Mind + Soul

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A mini guide to welcome spring:

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1.  Eat bitter greens: They help your winter body transition into spring.

2.  Spring cleaning: Whether it is a food cleanse or a juice cleanse – cleaning up your diet helps reset patterns.

3.  Read a book in the sun: I’m currently loving The Group right now…Sex in the City a la 1933. (Thank you Valerie!)

4.  Sprout:  Add sprouts to your salads, sandwiches, and smoothies – they are nutritional powerhouses and you can even make your own!

5.  Window box: Plant some fresh herbs and enjoy with meals.

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6. Purify: Put lemons in water and drink up.

7.  Connect: Walk barefoot in the grass.

8.  Journal: Fill it with words, lines, doodles, pictures, photos… the options are endless!

9.  Beautify: Keep fresh flowers in your home.

10.  Snail Mail:  Make someone’s day with a letter.

 

Would love to hear what you do to welcome spring.  Leave a comment below!

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A Present for You: Presence

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“Be present.  Stay in the moment.  Experience the now.”

How many times have you heard this message?  It is shared frequently, and as easy as it is to understand, it can be quite difficult to practice.

With this new move to Germany, I have been spending a lot of time looking both backwards and forwards, sometimes at the same time (my brain is so talented!).  But this way of being causes a whole lot of stress and anxiety.  I have to remind myself to slow down and tune into what is happening right now, since it is the only moment I have.

Ex: “Oh look how beautiful that magnolia tree is,” rather than, “Am I going to make any friends?  How will I meet people in this new city?”

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Here is what I have found to help me stay present: First, I catch myself when my mind is rattling in all different directions.  Then, pause and breathe and celebrate that I caught my mile-a-minute mind, even if only for a moment, since it is a very challenging feat.  Then: practice, practice, practice, because it is a continuous evolution.

The payoff is huge because when you are in the moment you can experience a whole lot of JOY and EASE.

I’m super excited to offer some guidance to nurture this practice, and since a brief moment of conscious breathing can have an incredible impact on your day I’ve made a mini meditation for you!

Click here for the soundbite, and let the presence you create infuse and inform your day.

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Looking forward to sharing more mindful moments together, and I hope you enjoy this first soundbite.

Love and inhales & exhales,

Leah

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