Happy Wellness Wednesday! Dress as warm as you can today folks, it’s a cold one!

Today’s Wellness Wednesday reminder is one that I literally gave myself recently: Remember to breathe.

When was the last time you took a deep inhale & exhale? Today, remember to take some deep breaths. It clears the mind, reduces stress, increases the oxygen levels in your bloodstream, lowers blood pressure, & increases the feeling of inner Peace & calm.

I noticed lately that I have been holding my breath again. Becoming more concious of my body & what it needs to stay healthy, I began to recognize that I hadn’t been deep breathing, you know, those deep belly breaths that push your tummy out while out inhale & shrink it while you exhale. I hadn’t been doing it enough. It was then that I recognized that I’m holding in a lot of stress. Being a single mother, working every day, managing my own business on the side, & staying involved in my community, all while doing my best to be a good sister, daughter, & friend, & make time for myself to explore new ventures & participate in my own personal hobbies, it gets to be a lot to say the least. Running on what feels like “E” I noticed that I’m feeling overwhelmed in some areas of my life. And when that happens, I notice my breaths become shorter & my stomach starts to act up (I used to suffer from GERD, Gastroesophageal Refulx Disease, with severe nausea & bloating). These two signs are telling me that I’m becoming task oriented & something needs to give.

I know many of us are all too familiar with that way of living. It’s not always good way to live life. While it feels good to tick off “DONE” next to tasks on your To-Do lists, where do you fit in on that list? Where are your moments of Peace & calm that you need to stay focused on what’s important & keep balanced?

First things first, Breathe. Today, take a few moments throughout the day to pause & take a deep breath. Start right now with me: Inhale through your nose & feel the air filling your lungs & your tummy expand; hold for 4 seconds, then slowly release through your mouth, pursed lips or a big “ahhhhhhh” sound, it doesn’t really matter, just slowly release.l the breath. Do this up to 5 times. How do you feel? I definitely feel more calm & Peace(ful) vibes putting me into a healthier mental space. I always envision Life, Love, & positive vibes filling my body when I do deep breath exercises. On exhalation, I envision negative vibes, stress, & anxiety being released from every fiber of my being, making more room for the Peace(ful)ness that I need to function on a higher level. This is my favourite way to rebalance myself during the day especially when I’m short on time to pull out my journal or yoga mat to really get into a full practice of releasing tension, stress, & anxiety. It’s easy, effective, & oh so centering!

So with that being said, next, let’s talk. Today being Bell Let’s Talk day that encourages people to talk about their mental health & struggles, feel free to talk to a trusted friend or loved one or even a professional counselor or therapist, to help you stay on track. Sometimes a good venting session is all you need, to get your pent up feelings out & hear them out loud so you know what do with them, if not for the simple act of releasing them from your space.

Talking/venting to yourself is a great way as well to release what’s on your mind. I know it sounds funny but honestly, I make a lot of head-way & clear my inner space when I speak to myself about what I’m going through, opening myself up to positive pep talks & self-loving words that bring me back to my inner Peace.

If you are a spiritual or religious person, prayer is also a great way to get things off your chest. And when I say prayer, I mean talking to Almighty/Creator/Higher Power, or however you identify or acknowledge the Almighty in whichever way you know how & feel comfortable doing, regardless of your religion or spiritiual beliefs.

All in all, remember to Love yourself through it all. You are worthy of it. You deserve to be loved & feel love. Be gentle while you learn & re-learn effective strategies to help you along the way of your Peace(ful) journey. It’s all a process as we grow & become our best selves.

Love yourself & be yourself. Peace & love ❤💫

Happy Motivational Monday 😊

If you’re feeling anything like me, boy oh boy is 2019 moving fast! That being said, what are some things that you’re hoping to achieve this year? In looking forward does it mean we discredit what’s passed? Nope! With so many lessons to learn from, we can look back in optimism & draw from it what we need to further our current potential. So, what say you for 2019?

In retrospect of times passed, I have found that there are many things that I could learn from & bring those lessons into the present. While some of those experineces may have been painful & at times you wish you could go back & change it, you know you can’t. So, why not make it to your benefit?

I recently took a mini-road trip with my daughter & visited the college where my official Nursing education started👩🏾‍⚕️👩🏾‍🎓. It was an amazing time in my life, with it’s ups & downs, where I discovered my womanhood & learned so much about trust, love, friendship, independence, & of course, Nursing! Walking through the halls & library, it brought back alot of memories & helped me remember the high levels of potential I felt within myself at that time. I had my whole life ahead of me to start & the freedom to shap any way I chose to. I was excited, nervous, & scared all at the same time! Fast forward to the here & now, walking down memory lane with my mini-me, I was further inspired by her potential, watching her as she pretended to be a student there, looking through the library shelves & telling me all the careers she is thinking of studying for. (“Mommy look at me! I’m studying!”) 🤓

What we go through can one day help us to serve others. From pain can come beauty. From struggle can come art. I say all this to remind you (& myself), that we can look back with Love & Forgiveness, & yet always move forward in positivity.

Love yourself & be yourself. Peace & Love ❤💫

Happy Wellness Wednesday 😊

What a Winter Wonderland it is out there today! This new blanket of snow is a beauty to see, just please be safe in the roads today, whether you’re driving or on public transit. We made it to another new day, so let’s give it Love❤

Today’s Wellness Wednesday reminder comes from a message that reminded me of something very important to maintain that inner Peace. How easy is it to start the trek down the rabbit hole of despair, sadness, past mistakes, etc, & unpack there? Very easy! That’s the temptation we have to avoid: getting comfortable in these darker moments & setting up shop like, ” Ahhh comfort, I know this groove & it’s so comfortable. This is where it’s at!!!” Nah, boo, it ain’t.

Instead, see the pain, sadness, despair, & mistakes for what they are, feel what they are, & use the rabbit hole as an opportunity to Give them all Love. A little Love leads to a smile to hug to a happy moment, then to Joy

Where in your life do you need to inject more Love? What parts of your life’s experiences require more Love if not already done so?

That being said, that is my mantra for today & everytime I feel as if those dark places are trying to rear their ugly heads: GIVE IT LOVE❤ It brings so much Peace.

Love yourself & be yourself. Peace & Love ❤💫

Blessed day my loves😘 What a frigid weekend in the City! Today’s temperatures are supposed to dip below 20°C so please bundle up as much as you can😨

That being said, the Winter brings cold, cold, & more cold. Did I mention it’s cold? Lol! As you can tell I don’t fancy the Winter weather that much, although I do like to skate, sleigh, & ski. If you’re anything like me, you’re waiting for Summer temps & sipping lemonade on a hot afternoon, with the option of kicking back or getting into some Summer fun!

Learning lessons through Mother Nature, when the Cold weather hits & we’re forced to seek warm shelter & comfort foods, take a look at how life is preparing you for something you need to be ready for! While we wait for warmer weather, we attempt to exercise more, eat cleaner foods, & we essentially prepare ourselves for what’s to come. I often ask myself this question, especially when faced with the “cold temps” of Life & I just want some more warmth, “What am being prepared for? What work stil needs to be done?” Giving myself that chance to explore while on the “indoors” of my Spirit, I get to see what work needs to get done so I can propel to my next level when the moment comes. I journal, I stock up on more fruits & veggies & healthy snacks, I pray & meditate more frequently, foster friendships & connections with others, put time into projects that need work & attention, making plans for an exciting Spring & Summer ahead (Almighty willing). Of course, it’s easy to get down on yourself when you find yourself in Cold season of your Life. No need to let it get you too down though, because just like the Winter, this will also pass & brighter & warmer lie ahead. What do you do to prepare yourself for the warmer seasons of your Life? Send your strategies in the comments!

Keep warm! Love yourself & be yourself. Peace & Love ❤💫

p.s. wasn’t last night’s Full Moon a gorgeous sight?! Many great things are in store, I can feel it!

-last night’s Full Moon, photo courtesy: moi😘