Poor IAQ effects Cognitive Functions- the Study

 Discovery worth sharing!!!

Indoor air effects more than just our lungs.  I see this over and over and over, when working with clients doing mental tasks.  Mental tasks are easier with fresh-healthy air. Our brains work better.  We breathe better.   Everything is easier: organizing your desk, sorting paper, writing a blog or have a conversation.  Our entire life and how we function in it is sabotaged with poor indoor air quality!  

Yesterday I got my newsletter from Healthyschools.org.  It's called Newslice- sponsored by healthy schools network since 2003.  Usually it has at least 1 or 2 nuggets of wisdom or news worthy of my time.  Yesterday- it was a huge golden nugget!

Here's the thing, just because we can't see indoor air quality- doesn't mean it's not wildly important!!  And if you have asthmas, ADHD, a project needing your attention or if you want to be healthy, vibrant and happy...then healthy IAQ is essential.

This article and the study it highlights give support to anyone trying to make a difference.  Not everyone has asthma, or a sensitivity to fragrances, or needs full focus to do their work.  But we all want to have a beautiful functioning brain!  Right? 

 Here is the link to the entire newsletter for Oct 8th  The newsbyte I'm referring to is down a bit- I've copied and linked it below for you.

If you want to make a change in your world and the world around you.  Read this article.  Note- when I tried to open it, it was a subscription based article.  So I went directly to the study!  Scroll down in the study for the highlights!  AWESOME STUFF!!!  

Try This:   Open up your windows everyday.  Turn on your exhaust fans.  Keep your homes clean and healthy...so you can think beautifully, breath beautifully and live beautifully.

                  Happy Travels,   Denise

How Bad Indoor Air Quality Can Affect Your Brain 

SCIENCE - How healthy is the air in your workplace? It’s a question many of us are now asking to protect ourselves from Covid-19. But indoor air quality is also something we should be talking about long after the pandemic ends. Because not only can the quality of your workplace air influence the number of sick days you take each year, but it may even affect how well your brain works in the office. A new study shows that poor indoor air quality is associated with subtle impairments in a number of cognitive functions, including our ability to concentrate and process information. The study tracked 302 office workers in commercial buildings in six countries — the United States, Britain, China, India, Mexico and Thailand — for 12 months. (The New York Times)

Secrets of a happy farmer from 1913

July...comes around only once a year. I know it may seem like we are all on a race to the end of the year. In reality, we are in a circle. July is back, she circles around every year...this same time, same messages, same wisdom.

July rings summer more than any other month.

Are you pausing long enough to welcome her or him in? Give space to play, to pause to be! To eat hot dogs, lemonade and frozen ice cream on a stick? Am I?

We need to. Play, rest and just being are equally as important as goals, achievements and focus. They balance each other out.

July keeps us sane!

Question! What does summer mean to you? Do it! At least a little bit.

A note about Thomas Mitchell. The author of the following quote. As I was looking up a link for you, I found Thomas Mitchell wrote his essays in 1913. Prior to world war 1. I have even more awe for his timeless wisdom. Enjoy!

"One of the best secrets of a happy life is the art of extracting comfort and sweetness from every circumstance...

People are always looking for happiness at some future time and in some new thing, or some new set of circumstances, in possession of which they some day expect to find themselves.

But the fact is, if happiness is not found now, where we are, and as we are, there is little chance of it ever being found. There is a great deal more happiness around us day by day than we have the sense or power to seek and find.

If we are to cultivate the art of living, we should cultivate the art of extracting sweetness and comfort out of everything, as the bee goes from flower to flower in search of honey."

Thomas Mitchell, a farmer, on happiness:

Source: Essays on Life

shared by James Clear in his weekly newsletter

Coming out of our COVID cocoons

  We are richer with poetry, kindred spirits and traveling partners.  Trying to be perfect, is not as much fun as a gritty, imperfect and quirky authentic soul.  When she stepped out of her own shadow...delightful friends appeared.  It's time to start moving out of our COVID cocoons to discover who we have transformed into over the last year plus!

                        Denise... Happy traveling my friends.

What Happens

What happens when your soul

Begins to awaken

Your eyes and your heart

And the cells of your body

To the great journey of Love?

First there is wonderful laughter

And probably precious tears

And a hundred sweet promises

And those hectic vows

No one can ever keep.

But still the Beloved is delighted and amused

That you try to be a saint.

What happens when your soul begins to awake in this world

To your deep need to love and to serve Life?

O, the Beloved Will send you

Wonderful and Wild companions!

   Hafiz

6 easy and enjoyable stress reducers... that work!!

Are you feeling stress?  Yup, we all are...here are 6 of my top stress busting tips for November... in no particular order.  Try one or two... let me know how it goes.   One simple shift can change everything... I'm here right here with you!

  Go outside

These are tiny fungi in our garden

Even 15 minutes out of the house and unplugged can shift your mood.  While you are outside...go for a walk, look around to see what wonders the season is bringing.  What are the clouds doing? Wave at neighbors.  Talk to barking dogs.  Smile at bursts of beauty. Move out of your brain and into the world.  Nature expands you.  Your radiant energy is nourished.

Get your zzzz's

Create space to sleep.  I totally get how easy it is to fall asleep on the couch watching TV or scrolling through Instagram or Facebook.  Those activates turn me into a zombie's!  How about you?  So create space to sleep 8-9 hours of nourishing sleep.  In addition to a good night's sleep...take a nap.  A well rested baby is a happy baby...we never grow out of our need to sleep. Sleep is when we heal, reboot, and replenish our mind, body and spirits.

Play

  Play is the antidote to stress!  Unplug, shut off work and go play.  Our nervous system needs play.  If you have ever had a puppy you know how sad they get when they don't get to play.  We are no different than puppies.  Joy begets Joy... cultivate play.  Discover what makes your spirit sparkle.

  Gratitude

  Gratitude moves us from the worry and fretting, fear and dread and into a world that warms your heart.  For a complete guide to the wonders of gratitude, check out this gatherings of articles...The neuroscience of Gratitude and how it affects anxiety and depression.  And check out Joshua Becker's a month of Gratitude

Gratitude Defined:  The quality of being thankful.  Readiness to show appreciation for and to; return kindness to someone

 Be present  

Move your attention from your thoughts to your body.  When you are feeling your body, your breath... your brain can relax.  By becoming present and breathing long, deep, slow nourishing breaths...you get to rest your weary mind.  

"To stay present in everyday life,  it helps to be deeply rooted within yourself:  otherwise, the mind, which as incredible momentum will drag you along like a wild river.    It means to inhabit your body fully.  To always have some of your attention in the inner energy filed of your body.  To feel the body from within, so to speak.  Body awareness keeps you present. It anchors you in the Now".   Practicing the Power of Now... Eckhart Tolle

Practice acts of kindness

This can be as simple as waving at a neighbor, to calling a friend.  Even pickup up the house so it feels better for your family.  Not as a chore but an act of love...we will feel better.  When we stop thinking of our own wows...and focus our attention on helping someone else.

  A funny thing happens...we feel better. It is the gift of giving.

You are more powerful, resourceful and resilient than you will ever know.  If you want an additional boost of inspiration... read the dressmaker of Khair Khana.  This book really put in perspective how strong we are...and how lucky we are!!  I highly recommend.

Wow...this book will put our 2020 in perspective!

And if you need support, reach out.  You are not alone, you are surrounded by lots of kindred spirits...and we are all fingering this out one day at a time.

   Denise Frakes  your life and home coach

 

Rebooting our Immune System

Good morning, It's early Sat morning as I writing you.  How are you doing this morning?  We are in some strange and stressful times.  How are you managing all this?  I've found I have days of feeling super confident and powerful which will be followed by a day of wondering and low energy.  I know this is normal, it is stress showing up.  We all have stress.  The stress level of our entire world has exponentially increased.

Yesterday I was reading one of my favorite books.  Born to Run- if you follow me, you know I'm a huge fan of journeys. exploration, nature, human nature and running... this book has it all in spades.  It's about modern day ultra athletes and an ancient running people the Tarahumara.  On page 37 they are talking about a group of Tarahumara who started living the modern life...with it came foods they had "rarely eaten - soda, chocolate, rice, sugar, butter, flower.  They developed a taste for starch and treats.....that was twenty years ago. "Now, there are no runners in Yerbabuena."  What I know for sure...Food is Medicine.  Food can also be a thief.  Poor food choices steal our health.

This passage struck a cord with me.  I've been giving myself more than normal treats, comfort foods, baked goods, chocolate, butter... rich foods.  My body doesn't work as well on these foods. My brain gets foggy.  My immune system isn't as powerful.  I know eating has a tremendous impact of my own vitality.  I've known this for years.  Just because we know something doesn't mean we always are perfect- hardly. 

 Nutrition and stress are directly linked.  Up your nutrition...your stress decreases...lower your nutrition...your stress will increase.

I run a pretty clean personal health ship because I like to feel good.  When I'm stressed, I up my self care...which includes nourishing foods. foods that reduce my own stress.  Lately I'm feeling signs of high stress... I'm more emotional, fuzzy brained, up's and downs in my energy, lowered decision making... that's my body, mind and spirit talking to me.  I'm listening...

I invite you to join me.  For the next two weeks, I'll be upping self care and lowering things I know drop my vitality, focus and immunity.  Two weeks isn't very long. It's doable.  I know from experience rebooting my vitality is priceless.- it is essential.  

Why I'm getting up at 5:30am during this quarantine

Why am I getting up at 5:30am, during this quarantine?

 Waking up early is like putting on my own oxygen mask.  You've heard the saying in the airline safety announcement... "put your oxygen mask on first".

 At first when we got asked to stay home, I went into speed drive.  Then I relaxed my normal schedule and started sleeping in.  But an interesting thing happened...my stress when up, my confidence went down. 

So I shifted my own plan.  I don't really like getting out of my nice warm bed any more than you do... but waking up early, drinking hot water and then going for a run or walk starts my day beautiful.  Since I returned to my early wake up and early morning nature... my anxiety and stress have dropped by at least 80%!  That's significant!!!!

What's the law of physics?  Things in motion tend to stay in motion...Things at rest tend to stay at rest?  It's the same for routines and rhythms.
           

Start off well...end well. 

 Start off muddled = end muddled

You may or may not need to wake up early, get am fresh air and keep a clean house... This works for me.  Find your own rhythm.  What works for you.  Maybe you do better with a great night time routine.  Listen to yourself.  Our actions have cause and effects.  This is especially when we are under stress.  The greater the stress the higher the need for better self care.

When I'm on vacation..I can sleep in and eat more junk..apparently but not during a world stress event.  Nope, now I need to wake up early, be at my best and put my oxygen mask on first...

Because the healthier, more confident, vibrant we are.. the better we will be at problem solving, resilience, compassion and supporting others.  This is true for all of us.  

My rules of thumb...

              When I wake up I get up and wash my face

               I go outside...listen, see beauty, smell the flowers and fresh air

               I reach out to others

               Tidy up my home

               Eat healthy...not crap.. drink water

               Relax before I go to sleep

I know it's hard out there.  We are all stressed.  Be kind to yourself.  Practice kind habits.

 I'm here for you!!  

                        Denise

5 habits to raise your home's happiness index

     There is an indescribable joy that happens when you open up a freshly cleaned and thoughtfully stocked refrigerator.  You swing the door open wide, take a big breath and relax.  

Your heart opens up and you smile.... 

this is what creating a nourished and happy home does- it makes you happier

Creating a nourishing home for you, your family, your treasures 

is creating a space for your joy to bloom

    When you pull open your sock drawer and your socks are all happily in place. 

   When company unexpectedly appears at your front door, and you look around to see your home is
 at ease, clean and welcoming  

 

   Your happiness index rises

     When you find a rubber band and you think…I know exactly where that goes.
 I have a home for this!!  A little joy bubbles and wiggles in soul

     When you wake up in the morning to a clean kitchen...because you put it to bed the night before.
  

     When you start to clean your house and
 don't have to spend 3 hours putting things away
   

     When you sit down to have a cup of tea and look around and
 see more things that give you joy than tasks to be done.

     When you snuggle into bed, in a room that feels just right and
 you feel your body and mind relax... 

   Your happiness index rises

 Nourishing homes support our happiness.  A home that feels cozy and relaxes our nervous systems reducing our stress.  Homes like this make us happier.  When we are happy, we are healthier, more at ease.   We process better, communicate better and are more creative.  Life is easier and we feel luckier. 

  Perfection isn't the goal to creating homes that nourish.  Homes are living beings.  They will shift and flow with our lives, the seasons and with how well they are loved and cared for.  If we live in a home that is loved...we feel more loved.  When we create homes that make us happy...that joy is reflected back to us.  When our homes make since, support our life habits, are easy and feel nourishing... we are happier and healthier.

   Happiness is found in creating spaces you love and are loved

5 habits to raise your home's happiness index

       Practice tiny acts of tidiness…. Happy homes come from mindful creating.  They don't wait for the grand gestures or big projects... or cleaning day.  Tiny acts of tidiness happen all the time.  Sinks are wiped down after teeth are brushed, the mail sorted and put way, muddled shoes get a quick touch or order... tiny acts of tidiness.  Our work isn't drudgery but acts of kindness.

     Practices of prevention.  My Aunt Velma was always saying...If you have to swallow a bull frog don't spend too much time looking at it.  Spending time thinking about cleaning or un-cluttering causes stress.  When we gently and lightly clean and put away our days as we go... we have little to do on cleaning day.  Instead of thinking cleaning day... think prevention, prevention, prevention

     Practice Creating little homes…. Think of your home as thousands of tiny homes living within your home.  Putting like items with like items.  Making space for what we use and love the most... in the most honored of spaces. Create homes for your treasures.  Everyone feels better when then belong somewhere.  Plus, knowing where everything lives is a total stress reducer.

    Gather support of kindred spirits and home angels….. by having healthy support system, we up our chances of accomplishing our lists and goals by 65-95%!!! Schedule a house cleaner, a home coach, a handy person to help you.  Schedule company to visit for a party or just a cup of tea.  Take a picture of your work before and after share your accomplishment with a buddy.

    Pause and be openly Curious.  Because we are creatures of habit.  We get lost in the day to day shuffle.   Pause and look around.  Be openly curious.  Pretend you don't live here- who does? What do you see, what do you notice?  Sometimes we have to pause from doing and look at our homes from a new perspective.  What do we love, what are we grateful for?  What are we done with?

 How do you feel in your home?  More importantly how do you want to feel??

  Our habits can uplift or deplete.  They don't care... they are here to make our brains work less, conserve energy and help us repeat the patterns we create.  By creating new patterns and ways of looking at our home and lives we wake up.  We shake off the cobwebs of the day to day grind. 
Housekeeping is exactly what we think it is... happiness or work.  I choose happiness...most days. 

Not every day is easy, but by habitually loving your work and home...happiness starts to become the habit.  This is a beautiful thing.

Action:  Look around your home.  What do you see?  What do you love?  How do you feel.  Just notice.  No judgement here.  Think of your 5 year old self and see with curiosity.  This is a great place to start.  Let me know what you discover!

You can do this!  Life is too short to get squished by housework. 
          Denise Frakes
            your life and home coach

How to create breathing space...for 2020

Pausing...
Do you feel like your life is rushing by? Like there is no space to breathe, to play, to create, to love?  It's just task, errand, work, TV, sleep...Facebook videos...What do we do with our time?  Do we even know?

I love my work... I get to explore and play with these questions everyday.  How can we make cleaning our homes not only healthy and efficient but enjoyable and nourishing?  How can we love our lives and have room to play in any weather and any season?

Pausing...do you pause?  Or rush from task to task, from action to action to rest and then up and going again.  Do we let our breath complete it's cycle, our food space to digest, our minds space to wonder and ponder?  Do we think of our lives as circles repeating or a race to run?

As the new year rolls around, I'm fascinated by our habits.  I live in the world of habits.  Most of my coaching is around not goals but daily habits.   Cleaning, breathing, un-cluttering, health, happiness, creating space to ....????

These are lifestyle habits more than goal driven actions.  A lifestyle action focuses more on the practice of doing... to get the outcome you wish.  A goal driven action focuses on the end result. I believe in enjoying the journey...and arriving where we wish to go.

 Pausing gives our daily music form.   We relax our bodies, untangle our minds and let our natural beauty have space to be.  Think of time as a circle instead of a destination.  Our destinations are all the same...we will all pass away.  This is life.  If we focus on the circles within our life's journey, we give ourselves space to play, to nourish and improve our life skills.

Where are the circles?  And what do they have to do with Pausing?
    Circles...each minute is 60 seconds, an hour 60 minutes, a day 24 hours, a week, 7 days a month 30 days, a season 3 months, a year 12 months...After each segment- we circle back to the beginning.  We are back to January.  Circles give us rhythm.  They give us natural measurements.  They move with the seasons and are ever shifting with the seasons.
    Pausing...is learning to pause within the circles.  To pause between projects, at the beginning of each new day...at the end.  Pausing before we eat to be thankful and present.  Pausing before we begin to visualize how we want this segment to go...how we want to feel.  Pausing at the end of a cycle a circle to ask...how did this go?  What could we have done differently, what did we love?

  The truth is each second is a gift.  No matter what we are doing, it is our lives.  Our lives are impermanent, imperfect and uniquely our own..we share this with others.  Learning to pause between the circles... to be present and to relax.

  When we are in a relaxed and receptive state we are more intuitive.  When we are happy we are healthier, our ability to problem solve higher, our natural ease of connection is improved.
When we learn to pause, we let our bodies relax... We hop off the treadmill and go wash dishes. And then we have a conversation.  We put down our cell phones, turn off the marathon tv series.  We put down our fork and smile.  We create space to create.

When we pause, we give our lives space.  By thinking in terms of circles.  We can practice being and living instead of racing.  This is not a practice of wondering around. we still have a vision of our future and how we want to feel.  The practice of pausing and feeling makes the path more enjoyable.  And when we get to our destination we are not out of breath, exhausted and depleted by life... but nourished each step along the way.

We live in abundance.  Sometimes we need to pause from abundance to breathe.  To create nourishment instead of gathering more.

Do this...

Practice pausing.  3 times a day for 3 minutes each pause.  Become still. listen, breath, smile, relax your shoulders, breathe deeper and slower.  Soften your eyes, relax your neck, soften your belly and stand tall. gently put your shoulder blades down from your ears and into your back pockets.  Listen... Listen what do you hear?  How does your body feel?
                Finish with saying a little blessing or kindness to someone or something.
                See your world as you wish it to be.

And this... create a home for your pause... first thing in the morning, before sleep, before you eat... when you pee, between projects... find a home for your pause.

And then do this...  Let me know how it goes.  Do this for a week.  or a day.. how did it feel.  Try it again tomorrow...

         Happy Pausing,
               Denise Frakes- life and home coach

Beauty is a state of being

We don't buy beauty.  Beauty is a state of being.  True beauty is found in the moments.  It catches our breath and expands our heart.

 I remember stripping coatings off slate floors.  A plastic, shiny, muddled coating covering up.  When we  removed the coating, I was amazed time and time again how the real beauty became visible.  It wasn't something to be added but something to be removed.  The essence of the stone of was there all along.

When I looked at those floors, when Dallas looked, what we started seeing was the texture, the colors, the lines, the art.  We saw images and even fossils of plants imbedded in those slate floors.  The idea of covering up the true authentic beauty of something naturally created millions of years ago seemed wrong. It was such a waste.

To be able to see beauty is a practice in seeing.  Shiny and enhanced beauty is easy to spot- but that kind of beauty can be washed off, or stripped off.  The kind of beauty I'm talking about is awareness of a deep beauty.  I see it in winter, when the leaves are gone.  The trees become works of art.  I saw this beauty when I would travel to see my family in Holyoke Colorado.   Driving in plains of Colorado, miles and miles of sage brush, rolling hills and open space, my heart would expand. -literally- I could feel it.  So can my mom.

I can see this beauty in myself when I wake up, all ruffled and messy from sleep.  Or come in from a run or walk in the woods.  Nothing fancy- just happy.  I see this beauty in acts of kindness, creative ideas, play.  I saw it in the my friend as we walked in the woods this morning.  I even see it in myself.

Just a moment in time...this morning

To me beauty is a practice.  If you want to be beautiful.  Learn to see beauty, to feel beauty, to give beauty.  To be present, nourished and at ease.  To eat foods that nourish your skin, your cells, your digestive system and your soul.  To sleep deeply and richly.  To smile for the pure joy of smiling and as a practice of smiling.

If you like wearing make up and it gives you joy, it is part of your creative essence that's beautiful too.  When you wash off your make up, your creative expression, and look in the mirror, smile at the radiant being looking back at you.  Like the naked slate floors...this is where the true beauty lives.

 Early morning walk in the woods, this is a great place to find true beauty!!

 

What do Comfort zones, Butterflies and Clutter have in common?

My sister and I were talking the other day about comfort zones. Our conclusion, you have to be comfortable to actually be in a comfort zone.  If you are dreaming of change, then technically you are not in a comfort zone!!  Think of clutter as an uncomfortable and muddling comfort zone.  A butterfly stuck in a cocoon.

Have you ever watched a caterpillar turn into a butterfly?  My Aunt Velma was a scientist at heart. Her back yard was one big science experiment. When I would visit, she would bring me to the back yard and show me butterfly cocoons.  We would check on the cocoons everyday watching caterpillars become butterflies. 

 The purpose of clutter clearing isn't just reducing your stuff. Hardly!  Clutter clearing is the uplift of your life.  The exploration of your spirit.  It's pulling weeds and pruning branches. It's making space to plant.  It's unsticking your brain from its ruts. It is spreading your wings and transforming. It's the discovery of what kind of butterfly you are.

 Clutter clearing is a metamorphosis of mind, body and spirit.

  Transformation is getting out of your comfort zone, your cocoon.  

Why go to the trouble of clearing clutter and changing your life?  

Because the payoff is... you get to fly, wear beautiful colors and children squeal with delight when they see you.  That's why.

Intentionally transformation

 Percolate your curiosity

"... caterpillars are short, stubby and have no wings at all. Within the chrysalis the old body parts of the caterpillar are undergoing a remarkable transformation,called 'metamorphosis,' to become the beautiful parts that make up the butterfly that will emerge."  

                                                 The Butterfly Site

Autumn begins a season change.
We know we need to clean out from summer and prepare ourselves for winter.
 Leaves are falling.  The season is shifting.
Expand your wings

     Take 1 hour this week and unclutter a pile that needs un-cocooned!
          I'll be with you all the way,
                Denise

Find more joy... look up!

How we see the world is often how the world is...

Where do your eyes go when you have an idea?  Where do your eyes look when you are happy or feeling awe?  UP.  Over time our eyes, like us, can become fatigued - weighed down with gravity.

January 1st, I joined Donna Eden in her 31 day eye challenge.  It was an easy challenge.  Over the 31 days in January, she posted daily 3-10 minute videos on YouTube.  Each video demonstrated the same 8 exercise repeated over and over again by different practitioners.  I did the exercise along with Donna, her family and students around the world.   Easy!

The eye exercises weren't new.  I had taken the Energy 101 and 102 courses about 8 years ago.  These exercises were part of that course.   Over the years I dabbled here and there but not much happened...I was too random and not consistent enough.

As I type this, I have been doing these exercises for 37 days.  I'm absolutely stunned by my eyes.  Here were the benefits the class said you might gain from doing the exercises.  Good enough right?  But what I'm experiencing is so beyond this list!

• Eye fatigue and strain
• Red, itchy, watery eyes
• Swollen eyes
• Headaches
• Allergies with eye-related symptoms
• Eye-related conditions such as glaucoma and cataracts
• The need for prescription eye glasses and/or contacts

I was expecting my eyes to feel less fatigued and maybe be able to see better.  But what I'm experiencing goes way beyond red and itchy eyes.  My upper vision has expanded.  I see up more.  When I'm walking I find myself looking up to the tops of the trees, out into the horizon.  In stores I see the whole store.  My eyes are more open.  It feels like I had an eye lift without any surgery.  I feel younger in spirit.  When I look in the mirror my eyes shine back at me.  

These exercises are magical.  I'm posting a few of the class videos- they are available on YouTube.  Also, check out Edenmedicine for more classes for your whole body.  Thank you Donna Eden!!

Try it for yourself.  Do the exercises everyday for 31 days.  Once you get the hang of it they can take as little as 2 minutes to complete.

The big improvements came from light and consistent practice.   A habit of bright and shining eyes!!  I have no idea what you will experience, but if it's close to what I'm experiencing- you are going to love me!!!   Habits are all about persistently and consistency.  its only 3 minutes - day

Day 4 of 31 eye exercises with Melanie Smith

Day 9 of 31 eye exercises with Eva Gold

Day 21 of 31 eye exercises with Helen McCarren

Day 30 of 31 eye exercises with Donna Eden

PS.  These exercise do not take the place of your eye doctor or in any way give medical advice.  This is an a exercise, a practice.  I'm finding great joy and benefit from this practice and wanted to share with my community, friends and family.  Enjoy

Happy smiling with bright and beautiful eyes.

             Denise

Stay young with a Wild Spirit

Keep your wild spirit healthy  We all have wild spirits- they are timeless.  When I talk on clutter or cleaning or Mondays or food or chores, I'm thinking of our wild spirits. How do we let go of what diminishes and muddles our beautiful wild spirits?  How do we wake up refreshed, look in the mirror and see shining eyes smiling back?  How do we cultivate spontaneous laughter, serendipity and wonder? ...

Last night before I dozing off I read one of my favorite passages from John O'Donohue's Anam Cara book of Celtic Wisdom.  This morning I sprung out of bed - inspired.  What lights up your wild spirit????  (Thank you Gretchen and Leslie for sharing with me Anam Cara and Iona)

The Passionate Heart Never Ages 

Page 187-188 Anam Cara by John O'Donohue

"I know some very old people who have hearts full of roguery, devilment and fun; there is a sparkle in their presence.  When you meet them, you have a sense of light, lightness and gaiety. 

 Sometimes in very old bodies there are incredibly young wild souls looking out at you.  It is so invigorating to meet a wild old person who has remained faithful to their wild life force.

  Meister Eckhart said that, too, in a more formal way:  There is a place in the soul that is eternal.  He says time makes you old, but that there is a place in the soul that time cannot touch.  It is a lovely thing to know this about yourself. 

 Even though time will inscribe your face, weaken your limbs, make your movements slower and finally empty your life, nevertheless there is a still a place in your spirit that time can never get near.  You are as young as you feel.

If you begin to feel the warmth of your soul, there will be a youthfulness in you that no one will ever be able to take away from you.

Put more formally, this is a way of inhabiting the eternal side of your life.

It would be sad on your one journey through life to miss out on this eternal presence around you and within you."

I get it, life comes with chores, irksomes and residue.  The secret to life, why I coach and my own passion, is to keep on cleaning off life's residues, to minimize the clutter in your life, your monkey mind's chatter.   Nourishing a space, creating time and energy to keep our beautiful, wild, spirits alive and well... no matter what what our age.

As always, wishing you happy travels on your journey,
     Denise Frakes
       Home and Personal Coach.... for a nourishing space and healthy spirit

Uncluttered: A place to rest - space to breathe

I have an amazing friend who is a quilting genius.  She looks at quilting not as a hobby but as a form of art.  An expression of what she sees and loves in this world.  The other day we were looking at one of her quilts. She explained the solid color between the blocks and round the border is to give your eye's a place to rest.  hmmm.

Our lives are like quilts,  There needs to be a place for our bodies, minds and spirits to rest.  If our schedules are too full, our houses and lives filled with too much we feel heavy and tight.  We can't breathe, we can't rest, we smile less, our spirits get heavy.

By clearing your clutter, opening up your life for space to breathe, we relax. Our lives start to move and flow.  It is the space between the notes that creates music- same as quilts and same as our lives.

           As always, I wish you happy travels,
                          Denise

5 Tried, Tested and Wholeheartedly Approved Ways to Simplify Your Thanksgiving

A gift of celebrating Thanksgiving early is I get to share post Turkey day epiphanies before your Thanksgiving. I hold a local family party the 2nd Sat of November.  I’m not sure why I had so many epiphanies this thanksgiving, but they were popping up everywhere!

   Here are 5 tried, tested and wholeheartedly approved

 ways to simplify your thanksgiving...

1.  Pre Cook your Turkey the day before, debone and then put the meat in oven friendly containers  (debone the turkey while the bird is still warm.)  This step reduces three stressors:  Timing your turkey to be done perfectly and on time, the pressure of carving your turkey and then deboning your turkey when you are done eating. Another option would be to go vegetarian for a shift.

2.   Create a Thanksgiving potluck.  Everyone gets to be part of the celebration, sharing traditions and discoveries.  Plus, you get to try and eat new foods with no effort!

3.  Let go of time sensitive dishes, you know the ones: Turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy.  This year I didn't make mashed potatoes or gravy and our turkey was already cooked and deboned!  I realized how much stress it was trying to be a hostess while  finishing up last minute dishes.  I was way more relaxed and got to visit more.

4.  Make dishes you will love as leftovers.  Food that will give you energy and not wear you down.  Food that you will actually eat.  I know this seems obvious but it will keep you healthier with no food waste!  I like simple, colorful, veggie strong dishes.

5.  Make time for your TLC in the am.  Before my house filled up, I went for a run/walk.  Even with all my simplification I was still feeling a bit anxious.  Let's be real, I don't usually have 20 people for lunch.  As I ran, my stress lightened and lessened.  When I got lighter, I remembered gratitude.  I then spent the rest of my run being thankful for my family, for their willingness to give up a Saturday and travel to celebrate with us all.  I returned home grateful, refreshed and ready for the day.

And there you have it... 5 tried, tested and wholeheartedly approved ways to simplify your Thanksgiving.

     May you and yours travel lightly, be lovingly received and well nourished.

                              Denise

Life is stressful- use cleaning as a moving meditation

    Have you ever had one of those days?  You know the kind I'm talking about.  Where life seems a wee bit irksome and your next step a little shaky?  Yup- that's the day.

    When in doubt, clean.  Cleaning is a form of space clearing.  It shifts energy, refreshes your space and reboots not only your environment but often your attitude.  Cleaning is a moving form of meditation.  Your mind is focused on the task at hand.  The methodical movement of cleaning gives your frazzled thoughts a place to land. 

    Meditation is a proven stress buster, but not everyone has time to set aside for meditation.  Even if you have the time, you may be uncomfortable sitting still.  Cleaning meditations are for active minds and busy lives.

    Where to begin.  Get out your timer.  Set the alarm for 10-20- 30 minutes.  Pick a task:  clean out a drawer, a bookcase, do the dishes, dust, vacuum, clean the toilets, wash windows.  The activity isn't as important as the action.  Set your timer, shut off facebook, texting and phone calls.  Open up your windows, let fresh air in and get a moving.

   While you clean, be mindful of posture, breath and the action at hand.  Keep returning thoughts to your project, your breath and posture.  When the alarm rings, smile, stretch your hands above your head and pat yourself on the back- well done.

   If you have more time to meditate- reset timer and begin again.  When you are finished meditating, you will also have accomplished a task and had a work out!

 

If you want to take your meditations to the next level... Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty as you clean.

When going up hill take small steps

Hi all,
    This afternoon I went for a run.  I run because I love to run but I also run because it takes me where I want to go- on the roads and in life.

    This afternoon while I was running up a steep hill.  I remembered to shift my stride. When running up a steep hill take shorter strides, keep your head up and breathe!  Kind of like life right? 

When life is hard, take it one step at time, take smaller steps, keep moving forward, keep your head up and for heavens sakes ... Breathe!!

 Just a gentle reminder for days when life is a bit irksome.
               Denise

PS.  A nap never hurts either!!

What to say when you don't know what to say... you might be surprised at the answer

I've just returned from a very chilly run.  Have you ever noticed how your brain runs free and light when running or doing anything with a consistent and mindless rhythm?  Running has always been my go to place to find ideas...

That said, while running today I was once again granted a moment of inspiration.  What to say when you don't know what to say...

We all get stuck in ruts, create habits and end up doing the same thing over and over again, even if it does absolutely nothing for us.  When working with clients, I hear the same thing over and over again: I don't know!! This repeated "I don't know answer" It isn't really very helpful but sometimes there really isn't an answer.

Today, half way through my run it came to me... Mary Poppins!  Yup, Mary Poppins.  I watched Mary Poppins a couple weeks ago, hadn't seen it in years.  I smiled all the way through- all 3 hours of the movie.

In the movie, do you remember the end when the dad is about to lose his job and he remembers what Mary Poppins told him?

   When you don't know what to say... say...

      "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"

And that was my idea today!  It sounds ridiculous, I know it does and yet I have a hunch it would be incredibly helpful.  When we don't know what to do, we get stressed. When we are stressed, we are not as creative, intelligent, flexible, healthy or happy.   But when we are happy we are a much brighter version of ourselves. Oddly enough, I'm pretty sure I could back this running theory up with solid science.

By saying supercalifragilisticexpialidocious we are creating new brain pathways and being silly.  By being silly, we relax and lighten up.  It gives us the freedom of not knowing everything.  As if anyone has all the answers anyway, somehow as adults we think we should.  But of course we don't.

The next time you don't know the answer just say "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"  and see what happens.

If you need a refresher here is the link with Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dike.
         Click here to transport yourself back to being a kid without all the answers

Wishing you all a light hearted, inspired and care free 2017,  From the looks of my first post, this year is going to be a very interesting!!
           Denise