you have all the tools you need {a meditation}

An invitation to remember that you hold all you need inside you. (You can hear me read this audio meditation right here.)

Give yourself permission
to let this moment,
this moment
right now,
be just for you.

Find your breath.

Notice your next inhale,
then the exhale that follows.

Let your mind rest
inside the movement
of your breath
in your body.

Find the rhythm of your breathing.

Inhale,
chest opens.
Exhale,
shoulders relax.
Inhale,
heart opens.
Exhale,
feel the space inside you.

When you are ready
to return
to whatever your day holds,
know this:

You have all the tools you need for this day
and the next
and the next.

(yes.)

PS For more little reminders and love notes like this one, sign up for my (almost) weekly newsletter (where I also share stories of my real, true adventures in self-care and living with my heart open).

how are you over there?

 

How are you? Really. How. are. you?

(Let it out. You might even want to speak your truth in the comments of this post today. I'll catch your words over here from this place of loving silence. Yes.)

compassion

When you read these words,
I hope you will pause
right here. 

Take a breath with intention,
and then another.
Let your shoulders relax,
feel your heart expand,
your feet ground you into the earth.

Then, when you are ready,
inhale and send compassion
out into the world
to anyone you know
who needs it.

Exhale and let this compassion
settle over you.

Then repeat, repeat, repeat. 

Let compassion lead you
as you take your next step. 

*****

PS For more little reminders and love notes like this one, sign up for my (almost) weekly newsletter (where I also share stories of my real, true adventures in self-care and how I'm building my own bridges in my life).

tea for one

As part of my current collaboration with eBay, I recently wrote a guide about taking the time to drink a cup of tea as an act of self-care. If you've been around here for a while, you know that one of my go-to self-care moves is to focus on my senses, and in this guide, I dive into how drinking a cup of tea can actually be like a senses meditation.

You can read it here and other guides I've written for eBay here.

The photos with this guide (including the one above), taken by Vanessa Simpson of Focus in Photography, make me so happy.

anything that's human is mentionable

Every day I'm so thankful for Fred Rogers and the way he taught me that talking about things is okay. And I'm so thankful for the ways I've learned to figure out who I can trust with those truths, even when the figuring out is bumpier than expected.

I posted the above words on my Facebook page last week. I'd stumbled across this quote and felt a surge of gratitude for Fred Rogers and all that he taught me. I used to watch him twice a day as a littlg girl. And one of the most important messages he gave me that I want to get out into the world is that we can talk about anything. That we need to talk about the things that overwhelm us and cause big feelings. That it is okay to talk about them. And that we can give ourselves the gift of seeking out the people who will help us learn how to share those feelings.

Over the last few days, I've been thinking about how important it is to create safe space so our loved ones can feel like they can share their feelings. When I write the words, "I really want you to know you aren't alone over there" in my newsletters and here at the top of my website, I deeply hope you feel that in your bones and you reach out to those who love you when you need them.

But I also want to admit that it can be hard to create this safe space sometimes, especially with those I love the most. My own feelings get messy and in the way and some days I'm just so tired. And it can be hard to ask for help, to risk the vulnerable feelings that come with saying, "Things don't feel okay right now."

This is why I turn to my practices in the midst of the messy that a day, a life, can bring.

I practice taking five deep breaths.

I practice feeling supported by the earth by standing outside barefoot, noticing my senses.

I practice connection by texting a trusted friend to say, "Today is really hard."

I practice releasing stories that no longer serve me to trees above me.

I practice feeling stronger than my mind tells me I am by standing in warrior pose with my feet firmly planted and my arms open wide to all that is to come.

I practice.

I practice.

I practice.

So that when someone I love needs that safe space, I have enough reserves to realize it and say, "Do you want to sit down for a minute?" or "What do you need today?" or "What can I catch for you?" or "Do you need a glass of water or maybe even a hug?"

I practice so that I can be supported by myself and realize when I need support too.

I practice so that I remember that it's okay to tell the true stories.

I practice.

And honey, if you find yourself not sure what to do as you read these words - maybe you feel alone or unsure of how to create that safe space or you feel overwhelmed at the thought of figuring out a practice - try bringing your hand to your heart and taking five deep breaths. 

Just start right there.

I'll be over here breathing too.

xoxo,
Liz 

five deep breaths

Every day in January, I paused to take five deep breaths. Hand to my heart. Creating space inside me. Letting in light and even love with each breath.

I'm doing it again this month. 

Each time I'm taking a photo and pausing to listen in the space just after I finish the fifth breath. I'm seeking evidence of this moment, of who I am, of what I most need to remember. Then I'm pairing the photo with the words I hear. Words like:

Five deep breaths right here alone for just this minute.

Five deep breaths while steeped in gratitude and trusting my gut.

Five deep breaths even in (especially in) the rainy dark.

Five deep breaths as prayer before nourishment.

Five deep breaths in that blurry space of exhaustion.

Five deep breaths in the rain knowing it's okay that I don't have all the answers. 

And as I take these deep breaths, I really feel like I'm coming home to myself. 

If you want to circle with a group of women who are exploring these kinds of practices, come along to Hand to Heart my free ongoing community of women. Each month I share different ideas to add to your current self-care practice and we're here to support you if you're just beginning the adventure of learning self-care. I also share more insight into the five deep breaths practice.

Learn more and request to join right here.

finding compassion in the space between

print available here

I came across the following words that I wrote around this time last year and wanted to share them today:

Friday evening, I was cuddled up in bed with Ellie. She had a fever and was in the midst of crabbiness and wanting to be held and not wanting to be held. My exhaustion was pretty thick and I was holding on to patience by the tips of my fingers. Finally, she sighed and leaned against me. In that moment, I consciously took a deep breath and found the space between my inhalation and exhalation. The space where my body and mind could rest even if just for a second. In those seconds, a quiet voice inside me gently said, "You've got this." Within just a minute or two, she was back to grumpiness, but I felt my patience expand and I was able to move from a place of compassion and gentleness, which is what she most needed. What I would most want if I wasn't feeling well. 

The seconds where I found the space to notice my breathing and recenter was like first aid to help me stay present for Ellie, for myself.

Today, this glimpse into a year ago reminded me to breathe deeply and come back to compassion for the now three year old who is trying on different ways to stall instead of going to bed. And it helped me to come back to compassion for myself as I navigate the different unexpected curves on my current path.

Finding compassion in that space between the inhalation and exhalation is such a beautiful practice to carry with you. I thought I would share it in case reading this story might be just the reminder you need today too. 

***

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holding compassion

I'm thinking about you in your corner of the world.

I'm thinking about how things unfold in the ways we least expect.

I'm thinking about all that we cannot control.

I'm thinking about people circling with love.

I'm thinking about how we can lift one another up in simple, real ways.

I'm thinking about you.

And I'm sending you love, compassion, hope, and peace today.

***

Over here, I'm turning to a compassion meditation today as I think about so many around the world who need love right now. 

If you'd like to join me, click here to download a guided meditation that talks you through creating space for compassion and love for another (and yourself).

Sending light and love across the miles,

Liz