Me?

1. make a cup of yogi tea. breathe.

2. read or watch something inspiring (or ask my husband to make me laugh).

3. create. write. journal.

4. exercise. surf. dance.

5. connect with nature.

Easier said than done, I know. But these are my simple little go-to's keep my sanity.

I bumped into a former colleague/teacher the other night at zumba (and yes, I said zumba. don't judge. it's so fun, and thee best work out - did you know you could burn up to 500-800 calories in one session?) She was telling me that zumba was her only moment of escape and sanity...totally agree. Cha, cha, cha.

exercise=endorphins

And, you probably haven't heard from me, because we had a little string of days when the surf was epic. If I am M.I.A., I am most likely playing in the ocean. A little salt cleansing, if you will. Totally addicting.

So, the latest news from my side of the world: Winter is still here (which is usually a slow season for work). To my surprise, the work has been flowing in with the rain. I am fully booked with design work and coaching gigs...very exciting stuff! Life is good, I can't complain, I am forever grateful and feeling blessed.

But let's get real.

Sometimes, I can't breathe. And when I can't breathe, that's my body's way of telling me to slooooow down. To chill out.

So I listen. Or at least, I try.

We live in a world that is dominated by the monotonous day-to-day grind, grueling deadlines, scheduled appointments, be-there-or-be-square weekend commitments, following the Jones' program --- only to numb it out with reality television shows, reality drama of your own, alcohol, or the latest pharmaceutical miracle drug.

As of late, I've been hearing tales of 'unintentional' self-destruction...and, this is not to say, I've never been self-destructive before...we are all human, after all.

But it makes me think: why the drama?

How do you get from that stage, where you throw your hands in the air, and give into the chaos, and quietly go to the place of enlightenment, to respect what your body, mind, and soul is trying to tell you. (Because, we all secretly want to be enlightened - don't we?) Well, maybe not like the extreme Buddhist monk type of enlightenment or wanna-be yogi lifestyle --- but, a lighter life. An easier life.

To live simply (or, like that bumper sticker, to simply live).

Where you can breathe. Feel moments of peace and contentment.

If you could just spare 15 minutes to one-hour a day --- or even once a week --- to get this feeling, how would you spend that time? What small steps can you do to make it happen?

What would you do? What's stopping you?

What arrangements and small decisions can you make to allow yourself the time you deserve to just be?

Please, share in the comments below, for we can all learn from each other's wisdom...xo