I am preparing to host the next Women’s Wellness Circle at Spa on the Plaza’s Wellness Center, and so I am starting by taking a personal inventory. I am focusing my attention daily to six mindful practices. I wrote them on a notepad on my desk, and periodically contemplate what they mean to me and how I am integrating them into my life. These simple practices are designed to cultivate more balance in my spiritual, emotional and physical body. I want to begin with the first three.

Sit in Silence

If I sit quietly for 5 to 15 minutes, it changes my day! I am more grounded, gentler, more precise in my movements and slower in my responses which allows me to respond to loved ones and co-workers more thoughtfully. There is an illusion that speed saves time instead we often waste time with rushed actions that result in workmanship beneath our abilities and ultimately costs more time and money. Slow down, breath see the person in front of you, listen to them and be still.

Body Experience 

Choose your own medicine but one of my favorite ways to get in touch with my body is through dance. I am passionate about Conscious Dance, in particular, Soul Motion. Soul Motion views dance as a birthright and a creative expression for everyone. It is inclusive and fun. Many forms of dance similar to Soul Motion are practiced in cities all over the country. Here on the Monterey Peninsula, we have Dance Jam every Friday night at 8:00 for over 20 years at the historic Chautauqua Hall in Pacific Grove.

Space

Cultivating space is surprisingly a new concept for me. Most of my meditations are simply the observation of my busy mind. Space or emptiness are rarely experienced. I think space is openness and a state of mind without boundaries which is receptive to new ideas. The only time I really experience space is when I stop and look up into the vast expanse of the sky.  Our choir sings a song called Most Beautiful Sky that expresses this feeling perfectly and helps me move into a spacious sense of being. Afterward, I experience greater acceptance and joy of what is. Wide open to new experiences including love, abundance, insight and much more.