The 2-Minute Shakedown

I want to share with you a little something I've been doing lately to move some of this energy, and this is a practice that we've been utilizing in my coaching program as well. We collectively did this together the other day, and it was fantastic.

So, this is a practice of shaking it out. It may sound silly, but it totally works. Right now, with everything that we're experiencing, I think almost everybody can agree that emotions are all over the place. There's a lot of uncertainty, and people are dealing with fear, grief, sadness, frustration and a lot of emotions that can be really challenging to process.

There are a lot of meditations that are coming out for calming and anxiety, and all of that's fantastic. I'm a huge advocate for meditation and have a practice that I'm dedicated to myself, and yet - it's a lot to ask of ourselves to sit still with all of this emotion, in all of this experience that's happening in our bodies, our nervous systems, our minds, and our hearts.

I know for myself. I have caught myself holding my breath recently.

I can feel this holding-in experience in the center of my body, literally. It feels like I'm breathing shallowly only to the center of the chest. My neck is tight. I'm kind of clenching my jaw. It's just a really intense experience.

And so physically, I keep reminding myself to breathe, to relax. It's just a symptom off the enormous amount of information that we're trying to process on both an emotional and cognitive level.

So, this practice is just about releasing energy, using the wisdom of the body to release whatever is there.

Do this two-minute shakedown to move some energy and change your state.

I'm going to walk you through it. It's super simple. You can even set a timer!

Step 1:

Take notice of where you are emotionally right now. Like maybe right now, the truth for me is that I feel irritated, or impatient, or just resigned, tired - Whatever is true for you in the moment, start by acknowledging that.  And that's where we'll start in terms of our practice.

Acknowledge where you are, and then we're going to add a little movement to it.

Step 2:

Start shaking. You can start just by shaking a leg.  If you've never done a shaking practice before, you could just start with a leg and just shake it out.

And whatever is there - frustration, irritation, sadness, grief - just give it a little shake, shake, shake.

Switch legs and just imagine that you could shake all the frustration. Not necessarily like you're trying to force it away, but you're giving it some expression. And then maybe bring that up into the knees.

Shake those knees. Shake, shake until you're ready to bring it into the hips. Shake those hips. You can feel it start to make its way into the top of your body, so maybe you'll just shake one arm, but keep breathing a lot as you do this. Shake the other arm. The bottom of your body may want to keep going too. Just let it.

And then shake those shoulders - the heart space, the chest. Then get your head into it. Loosen your neck and let your neck shake.

Just give your whole body a chance to shake. Moving frustration and sadness or whatever is there. Maybe a little voice or a little breath – release it!

Then you might start to feel like, “Okay. Oh, yeah!”

Just a minute or two of shaking is a chance to give expression to something THAT'S really hard to put words around, but our body has a way of knowing and releasing.

Step 3:

Complete the practice by taking note of how you feel now. Relieved. Energized. Grateful.  Settled. Whatever is true for you in the moment.

There's something magical about giving space for our experience, not in an intellectual way, but just in a physical, expressive kind of way.

I hope this is useful. By all means, continue your meditation, but I invite you to add a two-minute shakedown to your self-care routine and let me know how that goes for you.

Morning Pages Practice

Today, I want to share one of my favorite tools with you. It’s a practice I learned from The Artist’s Way called morning pages. 

You may have heard of it before. Maybe you’ve even practiced this in the past. If not, let me tell you a bit about it. The Artist’s Way is a workbook for unblocking creativity. It was a movement when it came out in the 70s, with book clubs that sprung up around it. It’s written by Julia Cameron, who has been instrumental in many people’s lives, including my own.

I began working through The Artist’s Way workbook about eight years ago. I worked through it religiously and it had a great impact on me. There are journal prompts and different activities that you do in the book. One of the journal prompts was something like “If time and money were no object, what would you do?” It was in the process of answering that prompt that I had a vision for what I’m currently doing now.

So, The Artist’s Way and Julia Cameron have a special place in my heart. I’ll return to the practice of morning pages time and time again. In the moments when I’m feeling stuck, confused, tired, overwhelmed, or don’t know where to turn, morning pages are a go-to.

With Julia Cameron at the Gathering of the Creatives in Santa Fe, NM



It’s a simple exercise that literally consists of “brain dumping” your thoughts. That’s it! Get up, first thing in the morning and write three pages of stream-of-consciousness. (Two sides of one sheet and one side of a second sheet.) No more, no less. You simply write whatever is there.

It might be “I don’t know what to write. I wish I could have slept in more. My coffee tastes good. What am I doing today? I need to go…” That’s the nature of it. It’s not journaling in a traditional way; it really just is dumping your thoughts onto the page.

Sometimes we practice this every morning of the retreats I lead. I often prescribe it to clients as a starting point. Every single time, people have a great experience and feel that there is something to this. 

I took a class from Julia Cameron once, and someone asked if we should do our meditation first or morning pages first. Her answer was to do your morning pages first, then sit and meditate if desired. She says that meditation makes us okay with our problems, and morning pages compel us to do something about those problems.

It has a gentle, sneaky way of showing you what repetitive patterns are playing out in your life and bringing insights to what is happening. These insights can really make a difference for you.

So, get up first thing in the morning on three pages, no more, no less. It takes me anywhere from 20-30 minutes to complete the practice. Do it every morning consistently for a while. Don’t go back and read your pages. Don’t share them with anyone. Just get up, dump and be done!

Give it a chance. Maybe commit to two weeks of morning pages and see what happens. I’d love to hear from you about how this tool works for you!

This One Practice is the KEY to Delight

We can’t deny the fact that bad things happen in life. I know we talk often about joy, peace and a Wildhearted life but I don’t take lightly the challenge that life can be for so many. Heartbreak, at the unthinkable level, happens every day and injustice continues to exists. I'm sure you've experienced your share of this in your own life.

I’m speaking to you right now if the conversation in your head goes something like this:

• I can never have a joyful life

• I will NEVER get over what happened to me

• People who get to live those kinds of life are privileged

• Too many people depend on me

• I can’t stop to think about this

In my online series, Wholehearted, I quote Alaina Fairchild. It moves me every. single. time. I read it because it so beautifully captures the challenge and vulnerability involved in doing the inner work. It can seem so much easier to simply stay in our familiar comfort zone even if that so-called comfort is personal pain.

I want you to know that I see you, I hear you and I believe you.

Ready to open the door to healing?

The one practice that can reliably support your inner growth is a daily gratitude practice.

Here is a practice to get you started.

1. Put a small notebook or post-it pad by your bed.

2. Pause each night and write down 3 things that you're grateful for before going to sleep.

3. Breathe into your heart space and allow yourself to feel grateful.

It may feel challenging at first to think of things you're truly grateful for or to actually feel grateful when you write them. It's ok to start small. Just keep going and I assure you it will grow.

You may write water, my car, life, my family at first and then find that your list gets more detailed and rich as you build your gratitude muscle. It's like anything else, the more we practice the easier it gets.

As you develop the ability to conjure gratitude, you can apply it to the MOST challenging situations. It's amazing how quickly gratitude can shift your experience from sadness and overwhelm to peace and contentment. And don't be surprised when you catch yourself being delighted by simple things throughout your day. It's a common side effect of a gratitude practice.

In the Wholehearted series we look at what it takes to develop conscious practices and create a life we love. I assure you, you have the power to do it and you are so worth it.

What am I really available for? A simple practice to help you get clear.

I want to offer you a tool that I use on a regular basis.
 
I tend to pull this out when I’m feeling confused or unsure. What recently brought me to do it is that I’m grappling with a big decision where I’m a little unclear, so I’m taking a pause to anchor myself to my commitments and what works for me.
 
I learned this exercise from the brilliant Darla LeDoux. If you missed the podcast episode interview I did with her about living a heart-led life be sure to check it out!
 
 
This practice is SO simple but so powerful. It goes like this:
 
Grab a sheet of paper and split it down the middle.
 
Label one side “I’m available for…” and label the other side, “I’m not available for...”.
 
You can make your lists one of two ways:

1. Brain-dump everything you are available for on one side and then move to the other side and brain-dump everything you are not available for.
OR
2. Bounce from one side to the other and make your way down the list.
 

It can be very powerful to read your list out loud. Seriously. Go to the bathroom mirror and read the list out loud to yourself. Watch this video to where I read mine aloud.
 
 
 
This was my list:
 

I am available for making wholehearted choices--wholehearted yeses and nos.

I am not available for making decisions out of obligation or pressure.

I am available for clear boundaries and firm deadlines.

I am not available for fixed rules that leave no room for my heart or spirit’s guidance.

I am available for honoring my own rhythms and cycles.

I am not available for playing by somebody else’s rules.

I am available for learning growing and expanding

I am not available for getting distracted by the next opportunity or thinking that I need something else before I start.

I am available for supporting people to live a heart-lead life.

I am not available for people who aren’t willing to take committed actions.

I am available for being supported.

I am not available for doing it all alone.

I am available for twists and turns that end up in magical unexpected places.

I am not available for spinning my wheels trying to figure it all out.

I am available for courageous leaps of faith.

I am not available for ignoring my heart.

 
 
I invite you to do this practice. Read it out loud to yourself and really FEEL the power of what you are, or are not, available for.
 
Share with me what shows up for you! Comment below or connect with me on social media. I always love to hear from you.