Do you remember how excited I was about Spring being here & how excited I was about the wonderful warm weather that was engulfing us here in St. Louis? Well, guess what? It was in the 70's around 2PM & then strong winds blew winter back into town! As I write, it's in the 40's. Now, I know perfectly well that this is the nature of Spring where we live. It happens every year. BUT YET, once again I feel like Charlie Brown falling over and over again for Lucie's false promises. I do know that this cold weather will be impermanent & give way to Spring in its own time.
My thoughts about impermanence have been stimulated by the catastrophe in Japan. I can't find the words to describe how devastating the images that have come out of there are to us as viewers. So many clients are expressing their sorrow and sense of helplessness to me in sessions. It has touched all of us deeply.
Once again we are graphically reminded that there is so much that is out of our control, no matter how technologically advanced we are. Japan had done just about everything possible to prepare for earthquakes and tsunamis since they knew that they were vulnerable. However, nothing could hold back the horrific surge of water that wiped out so many communities and lives.
Life is fragile. This event is one more reminder of that fact. We can panic and try to protect ourselves even more than we are. Or we can be grateful for all that we have - for every day that dawns, no matter what the temperature.
Today my beautiful grand daughter, Julia has turned 10. She is so very full of life and she also can be amazingly wise. She sits back & listens & then will come up with an assessment that seems way beyond her 10 years.
I am full of gratitude for having such a full life with a wonderful, loving husband, healthy Mom, 4 beautiful children (counting spouses), 5 fabulous grandchildren, best dog ever, Susie, great friends and wonderful clients.
I am encouraging you to stop right now and mindfully reflect on what you are grateful for having in your life. Even though it might be impermanent, it is here now.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Spring is Bustin' Out All Over!
Happy Spring to all of my readers. The above title is what I usually sing to my daughter's voicemail on the first beautiful day that we have. Today the temperature has climbed up into the high 70's here in St. Louis, MO.
It's amazing how in a blink the winter blahs vanish. There are signs of Spring everywhere. I love to make it my business every year to try to find every single one of them. It seems to be so reassuring. I've survived another winter. Life goes on and I'm still a part of it. I'm so very grateful.
Today Sid, Susie & I went for a run/walk on a trail that goes from the Research Park in St. Charles Co. down to the KATY trail. We went a mile out on the trail until we decided that we had better head back for Susie's sake. We didn't want her to get too tired. Yeah, right! When Sid & I think that we're running at such a great pace, we look down at Susie & she's walking - just walking & ahead of us!!! Okay, the truth is out - Sid & I didn't want to overdo it so early in Spring. There's time for that later when it's in the upper 90's.
Today I would like to encourage each and every one of you to slow down by taking a nice, deep breath - Yes, right now - noticing the sensation of your breath as it comes in at the tip of your nose, travels all the way down into your lower chest & then back up and out. Notice how the air is cool as it comes in at the tip of your nose and then is warmed by your body so that it is warmer as it leaves your body through the tip of your nose. Isn't that amazing? It's one more thing that we take for granted in this wonderful life that we have. When we take this mini-timeout for ourselves, we are able to see more clearly. When we can see clearly, we can make our wisest choices. This certainly applies to mindful eating choices.
It feels good to join with you on this first day of Spring. It's a day of hope and promise of more good things to come.
-Cheryl
It's amazing how in a blink the winter blahs vanish. There are signs of Spring everywhere. I love to make it my business every year to try to find every single one of them. It seems to be so reassuring. I've survived another winter. Life goes on and I'm still a part of it. I'm so very grateful.
Today Sid, Susie & I went for a run/walk on a trail that goes from the Research Park in St. Charles Co. down to the KATY trail. We went a mile out on the trail until we decided that we had better head back for Susie's sake. We didn't want her to get too tired. Yeah, right! When Sid & I think that we're running at such a great pace, we look down at Susie & she's walking - just walking & ahead of us!!! Okay, the truth is out - Sid & I didn't want to overdo it so early in Spring. There's time for that later when it's in the upper 90's.
Today I would like to encourage each and every one of you to slow down by taking a nice, deep breath - Yes, right now - noticing the sensation of your breath as it comes in at the tip of your nose, travels all the way down into your lower chest & then back up and out. Notice how the air is cool as it comes in at the tip of your nose and then is warmed by your body so that it is warmer as it leaves your body through the tip of your nose. Isn't that amazing? It's one more thing that we take for granted in this wonderful life that we have. When we take this mini-timeout for ourselves, we are able to see more clearly. When we can see clearly, we can make our wisest choices. This certainly applies to mindful eating choices.
It feels good to join with you on this first day of Spring. It's a day of hope and promise of more good things to come.
-Cheryl
Monday, March 14, 2011
Change
Dear Reader,
I apologize for the lapse of time since I last wrote here. I've had a major change in my life in that my son, daughter-in-law, 3 grandchildren, my 87 year old mother & their 3 dogs all moved to Phoenix, AZ. I'm very happy for them, but not so much for me! It is a tremendous change. Sid & I had centered our lives around them. We, of course, can visit them, but it's just a very big change.
Another big change is that my best friend from first grade is slipping away as I write this due to a brain tumor. She has always been there for me, even though we live 1,000 miles apart. This loss, alas, is permanent.
I have been really putting my money where my mouth is, so to speak, by practicing what I preach about accepting my feelings. In the past it was just so much easier, in the short term, to make my feelings go away by losing myself in ice cream. Of course I then had to wear the evidence of this coping mechanism on my body in extra body fat. It is truly amazing how powerful it is to make a spacious place inside myself for my unpleasant feelings - to invite them in & see that they don't kill me, after all. I just allow myself to sit with my internal body sensations, letting go of the "story line". As a matter of fact I find that I feel lighter after & full of energy.
In an effort to keep myself busy (busier), I have been doing a lot of writing. Two colleagues & I are writing a professional blog for dieticians & others who want to teach mindful eating. It can be accessed at www.megrette.com. It's fun to write, but I often find that I get myself into a perfectionistic snit. Just one more imperfection that I can learn to accept and then, perhaps, with compassion, come to change - or not.
Well, I don't want to overwhelm you after such a long absence, so I will sign off for now.
One breath at a time,
Cheryl
I apologize for the lapse of time since I last wrote here. I've had a major change in my life in that my son, daughter-in-law, 3 grandchildren, my 87 year old mother & their 3 dogs all moved to Phoenix, AZ. I'm very happy for them, but not so much for me! It is a tremendous change. Sid & I had centered our lives around them. We, of course, can visit them, but it's just a very big change.
Another big change is that my best friend from first grade is slipping away as I write this due to a brain tumor. She has always been there for me, even though we live 1,000 miles apart. This loss, alas, is permanent.
I have been really putting my money where my mouth is, so to speak, by practicing what I preach about accepting my feelings. In the past it was just so much easier, in the short term, to make my feelings go away by losing myself in ice cream. Of course I then had to wear the evidence of this coping mechanism on my body in extra body fat. It is truly amazing how powerful it is to make a spacious place inside myself for my unpleasant feelings - to invite them in & see that they don't kill me, after all. I just allow myself to sit with my internal body sensations, letting go of the "story line". As a matter of fact I find that I feel lighter after & full of energy.
In an effort to keep myself busy (busier), I have been doing a lot of writing. Two colleagues & I are writing a professional blog for dieticians & others who want to teach mindful eating. It can be accessed at www.megrette.com. It's fun to write, but I often find that I get myself into a perfectionistic snit. Just one more imperfection that I can learn to accept and then, perhaps, with compassion, come to change - or not.
Well, I don't want to overwhelm you after such a long absence, so I will sign off for now.
One breath at a time,
Cheryl
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