Live Stream Monday Night Dharma Talks from Spirit Rock

Living in Northern CA for the last 20 + years I have been blessed to often visit Spirit Rock Meditation Center.  Spirit Rock is dedicated the practice of mindful awareness and provides silent meditation retreats, as well as classes, trainings, and Dharma study opportunities for both beginners and experienced students.

One of my favorite offerings is the Monday Night Dharma Talks. I make the trip to Woodacre, CA, at least a few times a year to listen to Jack Kornfield (and friends) give these talks. It is amazing to mediate with a large group. If you are traveling to northern CA, Spirit Rock is about a half hour from San Francisco and a must-see for mindful visitors.

Spirit Rock is visited by an estimated 40,000 peace-seekers every year and has become one of the most influential and well-attended meditation centers in the world. The teachings of the Buddha (Dharma) and the practices of Insight Meditation (Vipassana) and loving-kindness meditation (Metta) are at the heart of the programs.

These days living in Truckee, it is not easy for me to drive to Spirit Rock, but (hooray!) some of the Monday night Dharma Talks can now be accessed on the web or via Livestream on Facebook.  Due to my kid’s soccer game, I missed Jack’s Monday’s talk on Sept 17th, but could view it on Facebook later in the week for free. Here is the link if you are interested.

If you can't make it to the talks in-person, you can sign up for the livestream or follow Spirit Rock on Facebook.

Monday Night Dharma talks are an amazing gathering where you can quiet the mind and open your heart, and now you can do it virtually. Check out the live webcasts, they are held some Monday nights from 7:15 - 9:15pm PDT. "Spirit Rock Live: Monday Nights with Jack Kornfield and Friends."  

Win a Reusable Produce Carry Sac during the month of August

When I began the Plastic Free July Challenge, I did not realize that I was going to  connect with so many people who are also interested in going plastic-free and zero-waste living. I’m happy to be a part of such a growing community that believes in the power of personal action.

One of my inspirations during the Challenge was fillgood.co Founder and Chief Zero Waste Officer, Stéphanie Regni. I had the opportunity to chat with Stéphanie the other day to learn more about her company and am excited to partner with her on a Reusable Produce Carry Sac giveaway during the month of August (details below.)

What is on fillgood.co?

Fillgood mission is to help people reduce single use plastics at home. Recycling is not a sustainable solution for plastics. We need to adopt plastic-free alternatives that won't pollute our environment forever. That's what inspired me to start Fillgood. I've selected all natural and safe home and body products, in a reusable or compostable packaging. You can also find the basic zero waste items like reusable utensils, straws, produce bags... And finally, what makes us unique, a local refill service: just like the milk man used to deliver milk in american homes and collect empty bottles, we deliver laundry detergent, dish soap, skincare products and more. The empty bottles are cleaned, sanitized and refilled. So far, thanks to our zero waste customers, we have avoided 1084 lbs of plastic packaging!

What inspired you do to the July Plastic Free Challenge?

When I started reducing waste at home for my family of 4, I changed the products I was using since they were all packaged in plastic.  For example, I stopped purchasing liquid shampoo because 552 million plastic bottles of shampoo are discarded every ear in the US!  Instead, my family uses shampoo bars: that's easy to use and avoids so much plastic waste.

A Plastic Free July Challenge was a great opportunity to learn what we can all do and be inspired, so I shared almost everything I know in these 31 blog posts, co-written with Zero Waste California.

In this journey in the zero waste community, I realized there are so many little changes we can make everyday, easy changes that make a real difference for our environment. In addition, changing our lifestyle to be respectful of our beautiful planet is also a  way to be happier everyday. It's impossible to change everything at once but as I say all the time, start somewhere, pick one thing from the challenge and when you've found your plastic-free alternative, start another one.  It's a step by step process.

What are three things you learned from the Plastic Free Challenge?

I spent hours of research each week to write my Plastic Free July Challenge blog posts. This helped me a lot in getting new plastic-free habits:

• I learned how to organize a birthday party without plastic and with sustainable goodie bags
• My daughters are too old for diapers but I learned a lot about cloth diapers. Although it's a big challenge, it's less complicated than I thought. And this was an opportunity to make my own diaper change lotion, which is actually an excellent makeup and face painting remover!
• When it comes to shaving, the main zero waste solution people talk about is razors. Personally I prefer waxing, so I found an all natural sugar wax recipe and it's awesome! 

What are three things you will continue to do?
Purchase plastic free makeup products: I've just found great brands online, now I'm in the testing phase, but I won't go back to plastic packaging.

Bring my own containers for food leftovers: each time I'm going to a restaurant, I'm trying to remember to bring a stainless steel container. I hate to waste food and I don't want to get stuck with another plastic to go box. It's a work in progress. Same when I order on the go: hot food in a plastic container is very unhealthy, toxic plastic additives leach into the food. A good old mason jar will perfectly do the job!

Refuse single use plastics more and more, especially all these little plastic things we receive as "gifts": samples, little toys, balloons... these can never be recycled, they are pilling up in our environment. Refusing is the most efficient solution to stop the plastic pollution crisis.

I hope the lessons that Stéphanie  shared from Plastic Free July help you reduce the amount of plastic you use. A

Every week until August 30th we will give away one these beautiful Reusable Cotton Produce Sacs.

The rules:

1. Place an order or sign up to our newsletter here → https://mailchi.mp/fillgood.co/bemindfulgiveaway
2. Follow us and fillgood.co on Instagram or Facebook: @fillgood.co and @bemindfultruckee

We’ll draw a winner every Thursday of August: the 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th!

Orders and newsletter signups considered are the ones placed the week before. For example, on Thursday 9th, we’ll take into account the orders and signups placed between August 2nd and 8th.

Entrants must have a US shipping address. A winner will be randomly selected, must not be affiliated with Instagram or Facebook. Giveaway closes on Wednesday August 29th at midnight.

The best way to reduce plastic pollution is to refuse, rethink, and reduce what we consume. Check out fillgood.co for your Zero Waste shopping needs and follow on instagram!

Choose Your Energy, Change Your Life!

It is that time again.  Four times a year, through the Chopra Meditation Center, Oprah and Deepak offer a NEW completely FREE series of 21 online guided meditations. I love the programs in this series and use them myself. Their newest program, Energy of Attraction, started today, July 23rd, 2018!

People from spiritual traditions throughout the world have long reported that regular meditation actually results in greater efficiency, productivity and abundance. Join Oprah and Deepak on a transformative meditation journey, as they reveal the secrets to attracting all the love, success, and happiness you desire. Tap into your true ability to co-create with the universe, let go of constricting beliefs to embrace all possibilities for success, and harness your power to manifest your best and most meaningful life.

I have now done many of these 21-day mediation programs by Oprah and Deepak, and I love these challenges because they are free, easy to use and always provide such a wonderful source of inspiration for my meditation practice.

The challenge started today, July 23rd. So, it's not too late to join Oprah and Deepak experience and step into your greatness. Sign up today!

Be well!

Plastic Free July Challenge

Plastic is taking over our planet, and it is happening breakneck pace.  Almost half of the plastic ever manufactured has been made in the past 15 years. 8 billion pounds of plastic finds its way to the ocean each year.  At our current rate of plastic production, consumption, and disposal, the oceans will contain more plastic then fish by 2050! 

So, what can we do to stop this plastic consumption? I believe that action, even by a few people can make a difference. I decided to take the Plastic Free July Challenge again this year. This month, I will join tens of thousands of people around the world in an attempt to forgo plastic. I did the Challenge last year for the first time and it really made me look at how much plastic that I (and my family) use each day.

Simple ways to remove plastic from daily life:

·         Bring your travel mug to the coffee shop if you’re getting a cup to go

·         Carry a reusable water bottle everywhere

·         Give up plastic bags - you can try lining your trashcan with newspaper as shown in the Treading My Own Path blog.

·         Avoid plastic packaging – bring your own containers to the deli counter at the grocery store

·         Create your own home cleaning products using glass jars

·         Create your own reusable travel kits

Plastic epitomizes our consumer, throw-away culture. It represents the kind of thinking (and action) that has led to our current environmental crisis. We’re addicted to convenience, much of which plastic makes possible.  If everyone moderates their consumption, we will move toward sustainability.

Take the plastic free challenge with me this month and send us your ideas about how to use less plastic! 

The Science-of-Well-Being

I just finished an amazing free online course called the Science-of-Well-Being.  Since it’s free and focused on mindfulness, I had to give it a try.  Dr. Laurie Santos of Yale University overviews what psychological science says about happiness in order to teach students how to lead a happier, more satisfying lives. The course also gives learners tips to apply wellness activities into their lives.

This class does not treat serious mental health issues like anxiety or depression. However, Dr. Santos’ class does provide space to have much needed conversations about mental health and happiness. And who couldn’t doesn’t want a free lesson on how to live a happier life?

So many of us are suffering from issues, such as relationship problems, substance misuse, physical health problems, job or financial problems, and recent crises.  Why not spend a little of your time to focus on well- being?

The class starts out by going over what you think makes you happy (but really doesn’t) and then in the later weeks, she reveals what actually makes us happy, based on scientific  research.  Spoiler alert:  Dr. Santos gives simple assignments that focus on such things as meditation and gratitude practice.  One week my assignment was to write down 3 things I was grateful for that day.  This simple assignment helped to focus my mind on the positive.  I was, also, so impressed with the questions the students from Yale..  Their insights and questions  made me want to be back on a collage campus.  

The multipart seminar-style series - filmed last year in Dr. Santos’ home - is available for free on Coursera.

The no-charge option for the course doesn’t include all the assignments and class materials — there’s a $49 tuition fee if you’d like all the available materials. I just took the free course and it gives you complete access to all the lectures.

So, 6 weeks later, am I a happier person for taking the Science of Well-Being?  Yes, I think it was time well spent for me.  I learned how to focus my mind and body with the simple tools that Dr. Santos shares in her course.  Thanks to Dr. Santo's and Yale for making this course available to the public for free.  I am grateful to be a student of the Science of Well-Being.

Today is World Ovarian Cancer Day - Help spread awarenss of ovarian Cancer

Today is World Ovarian Cancer Day, an awareness initiative run by the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition.

More than 230,000 women around the globe are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year. The coalition projects that number will increase 55% by 2035, and the number of deaths attributed to ovarian cancer is expected to rise by 70% over that time.

My sister and I lost both of our parents to cancer so we try to remain knowledgeable and vigilant about ways to remain cancer-free. Since our mother passed away from ovarian cancer at the age of 42, we decided to have genetic testing for breast and ovarian cancer when we reached our 40s.  The results revealed that we both carried a mutation on the BRCA2 gene, indicating we have a much higher lifetime risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. With our diagnoses came confusion and questions about our options and the best chances for lessening our chances of a cancer diagnosis.

Knowing that you are at high risk for breast and ovarian cancer can be emotionally confusing and overwhelming. We found that meditation and mindful living have helped immensely to handle the stress and to make decisions about next steps. Taking care of your emotional and mental health and ways to cope with anxiety is what inspire us to work on Be Mindful®

Ultimately, my sister and I both chose preventive surgery.  Michele had an oophorectomy – a surgery to have her ovaries removed and I had an salpingo-oophorectomy - the surgery to remove my ovaries and fallopian tubes - and we both schedule mammograms and MRIs twice a year.

Having lived with loss from cancer, we created Be Mindful®  to provides resources for anyone confronting stress, and to create awareness, explore wellness, mediation, and living mindfully.

Spring Cleaning with Oprah & Deepak - Shedding the Weight: Mind, Body and Spirit

With the start of spring, I decided to do some internal spring cleaning, and I started the latest mediation experience with Oprah & Deepak. Shedding the Weight: Mind, Body and Spirit. I love Oprah & Deepak for their inspirational meditations.  And Shedding the Weight will focus on the adjustment of attitudes, reworking habits, and releasing beliefs that cause harm in hopes of finding what truly nourishes your entire being and lifts the heaviness that has held you back from being your best self.

I have now done approximately 10 of these 21-day mediation programs by Oprah and Deepak, and I love these challenges because they are free, easy to use and always provide such a wonderful source of inspiration for my meditation practice.

The challenge started today, March 21. So, it's not too late to join Oprah and Deepak experience more energy, creativity and light in every facet of your life. Sign up today!

Be well!

Be Mindful of What Gets Your Attention:

Just back from the Wisdom 2.0 Conference in San Francisco where I spent Friday and Saturday learning from a group of leaders in mindfulness and meditation.

I had the opportunity to mediate with Jon Kabat-Zinn  and Trudy Goodman.  Amazing!    

I heard Goldie Hawn speak about Mindup, an organization she founded to teach kids about their brains, mindfulness, and the importance social emotional learning. 

My favorite talk was by Tristan Harris of Humane Technology who shared his thoughts about taking back our lives and attention from our screens. 

Each speaker was there to bring wisdom and compassion to our use of technology. At a conference about Mindfulness, we all took a moment to about slow down and notice how much we are tied to our devices. And to think about how important it is to return to our human connection. I was glad to bring home some tips on how to manage my relationship with technology. Here are three simple changes you can make to live more intentionally with your device:

1- Turn off all notifications. Notifications appear in red because red is a trigger color that instantly draws our attention. But most notifications are generated by machines, not actual people.

2- Go Grayscale. Colorful icons give our brains shiny rewards every time we unlock. Set your phone to grayscale to remove those positive reinforcements. This helps many people check their phones less often.

3- Keep your device outside of the bedroom. Get a separate alarm clock for your bedroom, and charge your phone in another room (or at least on the other side of the room). 

More tips I learned. And check out this Ted Talk by Tristan Harris.

Instead of the 20 minutes you would waste on your phone today, call a friend, walk your dog, or spend time in nature. 

Unsubscribe – 5 Easy Ways to Start Your Digital Detox

Many of us have become hooked on the constant stream of texts, Facebook notifications, and Instagram likes that flood our screens daily and cause emotional highs and lows. Social media habits definitely influence on our mental health, even causing depression and anxiety. So what should we do about it?

In his book Too Much of a Good Thing: Are You Addicted to Your Smartphone? by Dr. James A. Roberts, he suggests that self-control is the key to finding your digital “sweet spot” - where you call the shots instead of your smartphone controlling you. Here are his top five tips:

1. Set phone-free zones. Cell phones should be forbidden in certain places at home and work. Pick and choose where in your house you want to make smartphone “free” zones such as the dinner table or the bedroom. 

2. Out of sight, out of mind. Designate two to three times a day when you allow yourself to check your smartphone for updates and store your phone out of sight the remainder of the time.

3. Focus on friends. There’s nothing more annoying than hanging out with someone who is constantly on the phone. When you’re with friends, resist the urge scroll through your feeds and encourage them to do the same.

4. Pit technology against technology. There are a plenty of apps that monitor and control your smartphone use. Dr. Roberts’ suggests Moment, which tells you how many times you handle your iPhone in a given day and how much time you’ve spent on each activity. It also allows you to set time limits to help you curb your phone and social media use.

5. Set virtual boundaries. Turn off notifications for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. to remove the constant stream of notifications that grab your attention. Then, when you check your phone at the end of the day, all of the notifications will appear on your phone at once, and you can take time to enjoy them. 

We also suggest unsubscribing to any feeds or emails that make you feel bad about yourself or your skills. Social media does not exist to judge you or make you question your worth.

With MLK coming up on Monday, it’s a great time to start your digital diet.  Here in Sacramento, CA there is a Walk for the Dream,  an opportunity to put Dr. King’s words and ideals into practice by inviting others from different races, religions or backgrounds to walk together and listen to one another.  So, this MLK I plan to put down my phone and connect with someone on a walk.

Have any other tips? Share them!

Mindful, Merry & Bright

Things are busy around my house this time of year. The holiday shopping, decorating, and parties are fun, but it can get crazy gearing up for Dec 25, as we celebrate Christmas at my house.
 
If you are looking for ways to create a holiday with more meaning, more sharing, and more happiness this year, check out this list of 15 Tips for Commercial Free, Fun-Filled Family Holidays.

The list was created by parenting and gifting organizations and provides information and links to less commercial gifting, such as giving second-hand gifts, memberships, and experiences instead of the latest gadget. It also suggests limiting screen time, planning family activities, and talking with kids about where all our “stuff” comes from and where it goes. There is even a list of last minute gift ideas to help simplify the holidays.

It's all too easy to let the holidays pass you by without truly enjoying and appreciating their magic. Take a deep breath and try to be present for all those special moments!

Joy and peace to you and yours from bemindful!

Mindful Books for the Holidays

Whether you are looking for a last-minute holiday gift or a book for yourself, we’ve put together a list of five of our favorite books about mindfulness that are especially helpful during the hectic holidays.

The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness and Peace - Jack Cornfield

In this beautiful and graceful little book, internationally renowned Buddhist teacher and meditation master Jack Kornfield has collected age-old teachings, modern stories, and time-honored practices for bringing healing, peace, and compassion into our daily lives.

Mindfulness in the Marketplace - Allan Hunt Badiner

Mindfulness in the Marketplace suggests a reorientation of consumers from passive purchasers to aware, responsible citizens who see the dynamic connection between their purchases and their values. The Middle Path of Buddhism is not to avoid all consumption, but to consume mindfully in a manner that protects ourselves and all living systems.

Mindfulness - An Eight Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World - Mark Williams and Danny Penman

Mindfulness reveals a set of simple yet powerful practices that you can incorporate into your daily life and to help break the cycle of anxiety, stress, unhappyines and exhaustion.  It promotes a kind of happiness and peace that stays with you.

Wherever You Go There You Are - Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life - Jon Kabat-Zinn

In this book, the author maps out a simple path for cultivating mindfulness in one's own life. It speaks both to those coming to meditation for the first time and to longtime practitioners - anyone who cares deeply about reclaiming the richness of his or her moments. 

The Awakened Family - A Revolution in Parenting - Shefali Tsabary

Parenting should not be a competition with winners and losers. Parents need to recognize their children for who they are, and in her groundbreaking new book, Dr. Shefali Tsabary challenges the modern myths of parenting that define how a child is “supposed to be.” Dr. Shefali teaches us how to control our expectations, embrace the present moment, and let go of the anxiety surrounding how best to parent our children.

Happy holidays! Send us your suggestions for other mindful titles!

Yoga for Grief Relief

As we move into the holidays, many people find it difficult to connect with the spirit of the season due to grief. Grief is not always about death. We all have experienced grief, from failed love to the loss of a job, a friendship, or a valued material possession. In addition to the emotions experienced, grief can manifest itself in a variety of physical forms such as poor posture, insomnia, lack of energy, shortness of breath, and even physical pain.

While on a yoga retreat recently, I was privileged to attend a three-day workshop with Antonia Sausys, a psychologist and yoga therapist specializing in grief therapy.

Antonio’s grief relief protocol centers around a physical and spiritual routine called ‘Yoga Sadhana’. Included are six elements of yoga: Pranayama, Asana, Shatkarma, Relaxation, Sankalpa and Meditation. Pranyayama are breath exercises that restore a sense of calm and control and reconnect our conscious and unconscious selves. Asanas are physical poses that address physical symptoms of grief. Shatkarma are yogic cleansing techniques releasing suppressed emotions and thoughts. Relaxation practices, including Shavasana, reduce stress levels. Sankalps resets the mind so the body can manifest your deepest inner wishes. Breath meditation helps calm the body and mind.

If you are currently working through grief, you may want to try some yoga therapy during the holidays. Or if you are simply feeling the stress of shopping and the long lines that the holidays bring, you may want to try this mindfulness practice to remember to treat yourself with loving kindess.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone and much gratitude to our readers!

by Michele Garvey

Every Kid in a Park

Fourth-graders are officially the coolest kids in school now that the National Parks Service announced that it will continue its popular “Every Kid In A Park” Program, allowing fourth graders and their families free admission to public lands. By targeting fourth graders, the program works to ensure every child in the U.S. has the opportunity to visit and enjoy our national parks by the time he or she is eleven years old.

The program was developed based on research showing that children ages nine to eleven are at a developmental stage in their learning where they begin to understand how the world around them works in more concrete ways. At this stage, they are receptive to new ideas and most likely to hold positive attitudes towards nature and the environment.

The program gives fourth grade students and their families free admission to all national parks. So if you have a fourth grader in your family, plan a trip for the 2017-2018 school year. The pass admits a fourth grader and any accompanying passengers in your car in parks that charge a fee for each vehicle. In parks that charge per person, the pass is good for or a fourth grader and up to three adults. The pass does not cover fees for camping, boating, parking, special tours and certain other in-park activities.

The year of free access aligns with the school year — Sept. 1, 2017 to Aug. 31, 2018. The passes can be requested and printed online. As the mother of a fourth grader myself, my family loves the program and have already made trips to Alcatraz and Yosemite.

Using the "Every Kid in a Park" program is easy.

Step 1: Get the pass. G. Get and print fourth-grade passes to our national lands and waters. Fourth grade teachers can also print passes for each of their students.

Step 2: Plan a trip. With input from their parent or guardian, fourth-graders plan a fun place to visit. 

Step 3: Hit the road. 

I love this program and spending time outdoors with my kids!

Yes, Alcatraz is free for up to 5 people as part of the Every Kid in a Park Program.  Tip: Call this # to visit with your 4th Grader: 1-415-981-ROCK (415-981-7625)

My kids on our tour of the Rock

My 4th Grader in Yosemite!

Mindfulness at School

October is here, and my kids are in full back-to-school mode. Math, Reading, and Science are all part of the curriculum at our school, and so is mindfulness.

While there are many mindfulness programs aimed at adults, more and more schools are bringing Mindfulness, Kindness, and Social Emotional Learning into the classroom.

Why kids need mindfulness?

The school environment can be very stressful as kids deal with issues from home, bullying, and performance in class, etc. Having a mindfulness program in school can help change this environment. 

At my children’s charter school here in Truckee, CA, we are lucky to have a program called Life Ingredients, which empowers kids to navigate their days with a greater sense of calm. Life Ingredients provides daily audio lessons that teachers play for their students. Each morning my kids listen to a five-minute audio session to start their day. 

Life Ingredients founder Deb Kelly, lives here in Truckee, but you can sample her audio lessons for free here. Life Ingredients also provides an amazing mindfulness program for parents and kids to listen to together at home. By giving our students the tools to live a more intentional, purposeful, and self-aware life, we can change the future

Bring mindfulness to your school

Mindful.org offers ways to contact the teachers and administrators in your school to add mindfulness to your school’s curriculum, but, as always, the best way to teach children to be mindful, is to demonstrate mindfulness in our own homes and in our daily lives. 

Does your school offer mindfulness program?  We would love to hear about it.

Join Oprah and Deepak Making Every Moment Matter

With summer ending I am looking forward to the inward-focus that comes with the cooler days of Fall. It's a great time of year to start some grounding health practices.  I am so excited for the latest Meditation from Oprah and Deepak, Making Every Moment Matter.  Tap into your inner wisdom to let goof things that no longer serve you, and transform your perception of time to feel less stressed and more purposeful.

I have now done around 9 of these 21-Day Mediation programs by Oprah and Deepak and I love these challenges because they are free, easy to use and always provide such a wonderful source of inspiration for my meditation practice.

The Challenge starts on Oct 30th. Join Oprah and Deepak to create a life filled with experiences, people and moments that truly bring you joy, sign up today!

Be Well!

Peace One Day

Sept 21st is International Peace Day. We all know our world is in need of peace.

The nonprofit Peace One Day was founded in 1999 to institutionalize an annual day of global unity and intercultural cooperation on a scale that humanity has never known. Thanks to the organization’s efforts, the United Nations unanimously adopted the first ever annual day of global ceasefire and non-violence in 2001, making September 21 International Peace Day.

Here in Truckee, I plan to attend a celebration at For Goodness Sake on Thursday, September 21. Attendees can drop in to meditate for peace for 10 minutes or stay all day. Check out the schedule here. And the Peace Celebration here in Truckee will continue this weekend at the Peace Day Celebration at the Truckee Amphitheater on September 23. There will be music, yoga, live art and more from noon to 5pm.

In Michele’s hometown of Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Free Thought Community is hosting “Peace Like a River, A Three Rivers Celebration of the International Day of Peace” on September 21.  Learn more here.

If you are planning to go to a Peace Day event in your community, share it with us in the comments section.

How to Help with Hurricane Relief

If you haven’t been hiding under a rock, you know the extent of the damage caused by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Texans are looking at months of recovery, and Floridians are finally headed home after one of the largest evacuations in US history. Meanwhile, the the devastation in the Caribbean is of epic proportions.

Those of us mindful folks watching from the sidelines want to help, but knowing which kind of aid to send can be confusing.  If you’d like to donate to Harvey and Irma victims, here are some mindful ways to do so.

According to the Salvation Army, the best thing you can send is money, Monetary contributions support local economies and ensure that businesses can operate when relief supplies diminish. If you’d rather send goods, it’s wise to go through a trusted organization instead of mailing them on your own. 

Although the Red Cross has been criticized for a lack of transparency in how it distributes relief funds, the organization is always among the first relief services on the ground and says that ninety one cents of every dollar goes to the victims.

Additionally, Feeding Florida and Feeding South Florida and Houston Food Bank are food banks in need of monetary donations.

Global Giving connects nonprofits, donors and companies in nearly every country around the world.  They are currently focusing efforts on the Mexican earthquake as well as Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

To help animals in need, the Humane Society is doing great work sheltering and feeding lost and stray animals in both Texas and Florida. They need monetary donations and dry cat and dog food.

If you don’t have the resources to make a financial donation, you can still contribute by volunteering, donating blood, or simply sending your good thought and prayers for the victims.

If you know of other mindful resources for donations, please share them with us in the comments below. 

Living Mindfully with BRCA

As September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month, I wanted to share some important information about resources available to those who may a family history of these cancers. 

My sister and I lost both of our parents to cancer so we try to remain knowledgeable and vigilant about ways to remain cancer-free. Since our mother passed away from ovarian cancer at the age of 42, we decided to have genetic testing for breast and ovarian cancer when we reached our 40s.  The results revealed that we both carried a mutation on the BRCA2 gene, indicating we have a much higher lifetime risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. With our diagnoses came confusion and questions about our options and the best chances for lessening our chances of a cancer diagnosis.

Knowing that you are at high risk for breast and ovarian cancer can be emotionally confusing and overwhelming. We found that meditation and mindful living have helped immensely to handle the stress and to make decisions about next steps. Taking care of your emotional and mental health and ways to cope with anxiety is what inspire us to work on Be Mindful®

We want others to know that there are resources for assistance and a variety of choices available for those with BRAC1 and BRAC2 mutations and their loved ones. A few that we like are BeBRCAware, Color, Bright Pink, Facing Our Risk, Cancer Support Community.

Ultimately, my sister and I both chose preventive surgery.  Michele had an oophorectomy – a surgery to have her ovaries removed and I had an salpingo-oophorectomy - the surgery to remove my ovaries and fallopian tubes - and we both schedule mammograms and MRIs twice a year.

Having lived with loss from cancer, we created Be Mindful®  to provides resources for anyone confronting stress, and to create awareness, explore wellness, mediation, and living mindfully.

The Power of Love

I was driving in the car with my two children.  Out of nowhere my son asked, “Mom, what’s the strongest emotion?”  It took me a minute to process the question and I asked, “Do you mean emotions like joy, fear, anger, happiness…”  And as I was speaking my daughter interrupted with “it’s love, it has to be love.”

From a child’s perspective, the answer is clear. In light of recent national and global events, there is so much hatred and fear in the world right now that I’m not sure how we can get back to love. Maybe the key is to approach life with the eyes of a child.

Music, poetry, mindfulness, and mediation can play an important role in focusing on love. Study after study has shown that people can change. Hearts can open, and love can conquer hate. Mindfulness and meditation play an important role in building the capacity to see and respond to suffering.

Here is a six step process from Everyday Mindfulness for mindfully dealing with difficult emotions that I have found helpful and we can learn to turn our difficult emotions into our greatest teachers.

Desire and Destiny - 21 Day Mediatation with Oprah and Deepak, starts July 17th

I am so excited for the latest Meditation from Oprah and Deepak.  Check out one of the most popular 21-Day Meditation Challenges,  Desire and Destiny.  This meditation explores your heart's deepest desires and learn the keys to making them reality. 

I have now done around 8 of these 21-Day Mediation programs by Oprah and Deepak and I love these challenges because they are free, easy to use and always provide such a wonderful source of inspiration for my meditation practice.

The Challenge starts on July 17th. Start your journey to passion and purpose now, sign up today!

Be Well!