2015 in Review

Charla Dury

2015 has brought me many challenges and opportunities for growth in my professional life (taking on editing for Mind Key and a promotion at work) and health struggles personally revolving around depression and kidney issues.  I am looking forward to rising above and beyond both professionally and personally in 2016
, taking on the daunting task of finding myself in this sea of life as well as finding my passion and living it to the fullest.  Mind Key is a large part of my life and I'd love for it to rise with me!

Barbara Steingas

2015 is the year I finally got over my fears and hesitations about sharing the strategies I used to heal myself from what is considered to be an incurable disease.  I started my coaching business and started doing workshops to help inspire and show people how to optimize their health & vitality.

Jane Kamala Morba

The new year is a coming to a close and it's time to focus on our own intentions and rejuvenation for the Solstice. In 2015 I have focused on creating my essence, on new holistic businesses and coaching, both receiving and giving support.

At the end of the year, I celebrate my achievements. I find it's important to do that with some ritual and art. I have done a lot in creating my structures/style and shifts in my consciousness and body, obviously this takes energy.

Developing my offerings on Mind Key to support women and men to achieve their best in the new paradigm through, oils, photography, branding and feminine coaching. I intend to accomplish all that I set up to do and bring in more wealth and abundance in 2016.

  

Danielle Rose

2015 saw the relaunch of Mind Key as a community of healers, artists and spiritualists looking to find their place in the world and help others. Building this unique resource was infinitely more work than I imagined, but the outpouring of support I've received has kept me from throwing in the towel time and time again. Mind Key has published two beautiful anthologies, thrown two fantastic parties, and resurrected and maintained a blog. I wouldn't have been able to do it without the help of each member, prospective members, and you, our readers and supporters (particularly Charla Dury, who invests almost as much time as I do each week to keep things running smoothly!).  We look forward to improving the Mind Key resource so that our members' work can exponentially touch others seeking their path, their healing, and their passion and happiness in 2016.



 Perhaps the most beautiful aspect of the accomplishments Mind Key has made this past year come despite (or perhaps in spite of) the incredible personal shifts I've undergone in 2015.  I've completed my first novel, pitched it to an agent, publisher and publicist, traveled to Mexico, and am beginning to manifest personal life changes that I am only just beginning to share with the world.  Here's to having the courage to follow through in 2016!!

Create your most genuine year with the Rituals for Living, Dreambook & Planner

    2015 went by in a blur, as years often do when you are 30 or 40 plus. We are familiar with the clichéd New Year's resolutions often made in late December while we're entwined in tinsel and credit card debt - lose weight, save money, exercise more, quit smoking, quit my job, quit complaining - you get the idea. But how many of us take the time to physically map out and visualize an ideal year?

    A planner, datebook, or journal is an easy go-to holiday gift because who doesn't want to be more organized or have a place to jot down ideas? You've probably given or received one or two, or more. The problem with most of these books is the lack of guidance since most do not have the prompts and questions needed to inspire. Then you're left with blank pages.

    Peter and Briana Borten, creators of The DragonTree Apothecary, developed the Rituals for Living Dreambook and Planner that makes journaling and planning meaningful because it forces you to be honest with yourself. With the use of unique charts, maps, visualizations, and inspirational prompts, the Borten's can help lead you through a fulfilling and purposeful 2016. There are other books similar to Rituals, but for a mere $15.00 dollars, you can download the entire 224 pages as a PDF file instantly. The book is broken down into the following five sections.
 

Sample Page from Rituals for Living - Dreambook & Planner

Connect - consists of a series of genuinely thought-provoking questions that ask you to identify your true core values, your numerous gifts (no matter how significant or seemingly minuscule), and your true life purpose. Skipping this section or BS-ing through it is not recommended.

Dream -  This is where you are asked to stretch your imagination to the absolute limit, if there is such a thing as limits in dreams. Creativity is key here. The Borten's help ensure that what you create speaks to your potential and your authentic self.

Craft - This is the mind map section, with beautifully drawn mandalas as your cores. If you retain more through visualization, this section will probably be heavily tabbed.
 

Ritualize - Do not mistake ritual for scheduling because this is so much more than writing a to-do list on a time chart. This section is about making the process of finding your true self vital, fun, and a meaningful part of your daily life.

Plan - Broken down into year, quarter, month, and week, this last section is where you keep track of your appointments and to-do's. But most importantly, this is where you keep a record of your progress towards your big dreams, you true happiness, and your overall health.

      

The key to the Rituals Dreambook is authenticity. If you are not going to express no-holds-bar honesty, the book will have little impact on what you want to accomplish - reaching your highest potential and your ultimate purpose in this too-short existence.   
 

I thank fear, societal standards, and failures - a discussion of The Heart and Soul of Things

Tis the season to reflect on the pause from the regular routine. Smile through an afternoon of family bantering over mashed potatoes or send tidings of great joy, even if it's via text. But what if we expressed our gratitude for the things that bring us down? That's right. Be thankful for the fears, regrets and disappointments because we can transform that negativity into authentic living.

This is one of the many messages of The Heart and Soul of Things, written simply but beautifully by Jessy Lugo-Rodriguez, appropriately known as Gaia (Earth Mother). The first few chapters of her book bring to light how we have become our own worst enemies. But instead of allowing our inner antagonists to consume us, we should accept those demons. We feel them, harness them, and then kick them in the face until they turn into angels.

Fears, expectations, and lies, according to Gaia, are what keep us from recognizing and experiencing our authentic selves. But instead of denying or dwelling on the negativity, Gaia helps us to see how it can be useful. So if we can use our baggage positively, why shouldn't we express our gratitude for the bad as well as the good?

False

Evidence

Appearing

Real

She devotes a whole page to this simple acrostic that speaks volumes. Our fear negatively impacts the Root Chakra which is responsible for our stability and grounding. If this first energy wheel is not turning the way it should, then the other ones are screwed. Fear is like hot air. It can only rise and cause more misery and suffocation. Gaia blatantly reminds us of the mind and body connection when she discusses the domino effect of fear - anxiety becomes depression, depression becomes gastrointestinal illness, and the tiles keep falling.

Do we need to cut loose the Debby Downers or the Gloom Dooms? More importantly, do we need to stop replacing our excuses with our fears, and vice versa? These are questions she poses, and encourages us to answer TRUTHFULLY. Being honest with yourself is difficult and can generate a huge storm, but think about how grateful you'll be when the atmosphere rights itself again.  

 

"Numbers don't impress me," Gaia said.  This statement stuck out to me when she and I met in October during her book launch. She is aware her book may not sell like hot cakes. As a yoga instructor and spiritual healer, she may be inundated with clients one week and have very little to do the next. She may be balanced and at-peace for a while before having a day or two of batshit craziness. It is what it is. She is living authentically with no concern over expectations from family, friends, and most importantly, society. In her little memoir, she persuades us to do the same because only then can we be free and in tune.

Learn more about Gaia, her practices, services, and teachings at www.LugoYoga.com or check out her YouTube channel simply titled, Gaia. 

Ringing in new holiday traditions for happiness and health

Merry Christmas, World!

Whether under a palm tree, an evergreen, or falling snow, I find it interesting how the holidays represent so much for us as individuals.

Some people go all-in, shopping and decorating and baking and celebrating… while others prefer to bah-humbug it, and stay under the covers.  Most of us, in my experience, prefer some combination of the two.

But why do the holidays mean so much?  Is it the marketing?  The spirituality?  The ancient history of celebrating at this time of year?  Earlier this week I discussed celebrating the "coming of the light." No doubt this history is part of what compels us to continue the celebrations, even if we are not religious or spiritual.  It is likely, in large part, what brought about the spirit of Santa Claus, of gift-giving, and of family dinners, among other deep-seeded societal traditions.

Our own histories play a part, too.  Memories of Christmas past are an immense part of why Christmas itself is more about our children (our our child-self) than anything. It's the child-like wonder of the holiday that keep us going amid the hustle and stress.  The magic surrounding Christmas is incredible, and by continuing our traditions we hope to regain the magic we once felt as children, too.

When a moment in our personal history sours that Christmas spirit, however, or when there is no one to help build that magic with, the bah-humbug kicks in. We feel lost, overwhelmed.  We forget why we're doing any of it at all.  We either succumb to it, or go through the motions, for hope, for our loved ones, because we aren't ready to throw in the towel on Christmas yet.

We're not all so lucky to have the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future on our side, encouraging us to see the magic in the holiday.  Most of us must create the magic ourselves, either through tradition of old, or by creating new ones.

Only in new traditions can we begin to dissolve the trauma of Christmases past… the ones where we lost a loved one, where we were alone—the ones where we became a little hardened deep down inside.

By finding something new to celebrate, we create new pathways for new traditions and invite more magic into our lives.  Even something as simple as having pancakes for breakfast, or standing outside for an after-dinner toast, can create new pathways of health and new memories that bring the magic of the season back.  The old traditions keep us tethered to our child-like magic, while the new ones are essential to regenerate and renew it. 

Kids or no, new traditions are what have saved the holiday for me and helped dissolve the pain of Christmases past.  I mention some of these in Charla's Christmas Eve blog.

Sans kids, sans husband, there are some traditions I would keep.  Wrapping presents alone on Christmas Eve with a glass of something warm and a Christmas movie on TV is something I've done ever since I can remember and still continues to bring me joy, as is listening to the golden-oldie carols whenever I'm just not feeling Christmasy. I've added a new alone-traditions as well: making my own Irish Creme to sip with cookies, and making gifts of my favorite herbal remedies and treats I've discovered throughout the year. Being alone doesn't always mean Christmas doom if you're willing to be flexible on what the season means to you.

How are you celebrating today?

Holiday traditions through the (your) ages

Its interesting how Holiday traditions morph as we move through the stages of life.

When I was a kid, we ate chili and opened all of our gifts on Christmas Eve and Christmas day was just Santa stuff.  None of the Santa stuff was wrapped.  I'd spend New Year's weekend with my dad's family and do Christmas with them then.  My husband's family opened one gift on Christmas Eve (always new pajamas) and then the rest of their gifts  on Christmas day and I think they wrapped their Santa gifts and they were under the tree in the morning.  

When he and I got married, we realized that you have to somehow meld traditions.  So, while my mom was alive, we'd go over to my mom's on Christmas Eve and open all of her gifts and eat chili.  Then we'd come home and every other year we'd alternately unwrap one gift or open everything.  On Christmas Day, we'd have Santa stuff (unwrapped) and then unwrap everything else (if we didn't the night before) and all of my husband's family would come over.  

Now that my mom's gone, we needed a new tradition.  I didn't want to sit around the house and be sad, missing my mom (she was such a MONSTER part of Christmas for me) so now we go out for sushi and see a movie Christmas Eve.  We have still continued the trading of one or all presents Christmas Eve.


Danielle Rose shares her changing traditions, too:

When my husband and I got together, he was usually working Christmas Day, so we started a tradition of pancakes for breakfast before work, but I kept the tradition of going to my mom's to open presents from Santa.  Because the day was so hectic with him working and us traveling from my family to his, we started a new tradition of opening our stockings in the evening after we arrived home and settled in for the night.

Now that I have kids it's even harder to keep the traditions of Christmases of old.  I don't open presents from Santa at my mother's—instead that happens at our house.  My husband and I can no longer open our stockings before bedtime on Christmas Day, but now after the kids are in bed, we enjoy a drink and watch a Christmas flick. Then there are a zillion new traditions built with our kids—cookies in the stockings, French toast for breakfast, seeing Santa for photos… singing carols while wrapping gifts… and of course, making time to bake cookies together. 

  

Like Danielle, I enjoy our new tradition, even though it makes me sad that my mom's not around to enjoy Christmases with us any more. Instead, I look forward to all the changes to come!  I expect one day to visit our children's homes for the holidays and to play with grandbabies.  One day.  Not soon guys (in case you're reading this.)

Stay tuned for tomorrow's special Christmas Day blog on how changing traditions keep the magic alive, and fight away the bah humbugs of the season.

Bring on Star Wars (again)!  Merry Christmas everybody!

Breathing through holiday stress

The holidays are a hectic time of year for us all.  Even for those who don’t celebrate a winter holiday, the roads, restaurants and malls are crowded and your friends and loved ones are probably running around like chickens with their heads cut off.  I know I am!

With holiday stress on top of everyday normal stresses, life can get pretty overwhelming.  Remember to take a moment for yourself.  I know, I know, that seems impossible!  I don’t have a moment, you might say.  It may seem like you don’t.  But when you’re stressed out and overwhelmed, what kind of support are you providing to your loved ones and those around you?  What kind of support are you providing to yourself?  You don’t have anything to offer anyone!

When you take a moment to burrow down deep and relax the brain, you provide your body with the nourishment that it needs to sustain the pace you’ve set.  Just a small moment in time and you can be able to breathe without obstruction.  You’re able to open your eyes to the chaos and see it without getting caught up in it.  That’s their chaos, not yours.  You don’t need to take it on.

If you've never meditated before, that's OK.  Everyone starts somewhere.  We all need a reminder to stop sometimes.  Here's your reminder.

Block out the sound and concentrate on your breathing.  In and out.  As thoughts come, don’t dwell.  Notice them and let them pass you by like you’re in a stream.  As you practice your calm, it’ll get easier to achieve.   Whether you’re in a stopped car filled with yelling kids, a crowded mall, a living room filled with demanding family, you might be able to achieve your zen, sit next to the stream and watch the stress pass you by.

Breathe.

A Christmas (or post-Christmas) craft for all-ages

I had wanted to do a craft for the holidays that I could share with you all.  I'm still working on pulling those ideas together... not leaving much time to blog about it (if it happens at all!).  Instead, I was blessed to find a lovely tutorial courtesy of an amazing artist, Christi Friesen.  I absolutely love her books, products and easy-to-follow tutorials.



image courtesy of Christi Friesen

The adorable penguins above can be made with a couple of packages of polymer clay (like Sculptey or Fimo) in dark blue and/or black, orange and/or gold, and white.  Everything needed would be available at your local craft store.


 courtesy of Christi Friesen

They make great gifts, snow globe figurines, or toys for the little ones (they're not as hardy as the little plastic ones in your happy meal, but they will probably last a long time all the same). You can even use a conventional oven or toaster oven to bake your finished product and you're good-to-go for last minute gifts, or simply something fun to do during the holiday break.

Visit Christi's page to download a PDF of the instructions.  Her step-by-step guidelines make it super-easy for anyone to do... Whether you are a child or adult, sculptor or self-proclaimed anti-artist.

If you have a chance to check out the link and play with some clay, please leave a comment and let us know how it went!  We'd love to see pictures if you have them!

And don't forget to check Christi out at www.christifriesen.com

Celebrating the solstice across culture and religion

Winter Solstice at Stonehenge 

In my mind, the solstice is why we say "happy holidays" instead of Merry Christmas.  It's why we celebrate the New Year, Christmas, Hanukkah and any other number of holidays this time of year.  It's the real reason for the season.

Please let's not get into a religious discussion here.  I'm not a pagan, nor am I a witch.  In fact, I was raised Catholic. This isn't about religion.  It's not even about spirituality.  Well… except for how the tradition of the season resonates with each of us in a very spiritual way.

The Winter Solstice an actual astronomical event.  Today is when the day is the shortest and the night is its longest.  From here on out, the days will only grow longer until the summer solstice in June.

Hence, the first day of winter, or the winter solstice, marks a very important moment of the year… "The coming of the light."

This one phrase sums up much of the deep meaning behind our holiday traditions.  The "holidays" includes many different celebrations across many different religions and cultures, but also the New Year.  The light for this year has waned completely, and as the days begin to grow in length again, we put aside those darkest moments to celebrate a brand new year.  I doubt there was any reason why January was chosen as the start of the year in the Gregorian calendar. Many other cultures have chosen dates not far from the solstice to celebrate—either late fall, or late winter/early spring, as if needing to acknowledge the ending of the harvest, of the light, and the beginning of new things as the light grows again.

Then there is Christmas.  The coming of the "son."  Or the "sun."  In Christianity, Jesus was the savior and the light. Many scholars believe that the events surrounding his birth make it unlikely that Jesus was born in December (the census did not happen in the cold of winter, nor were shepherds out watching their flocks) and so it isn't a coincidence that December was chosen as his birthdate.

Whether his true date of his birth or no, celebrating Jesus's birthday as the light begins to grow is poignantly appropriate, as he brought light to the world.  Hanukkah, the festival of lights, is another celebration of light during the darkest moments of the year. December is a traditional time for candles, twinkling lights, and bright celebrations that remind us that the darkness will not last forever, and that there is always hope, even during the bleakest of nights.

Whether you celebrate this time of year or not, whether you find yourself spiritual or scrooged, the days surrounding the winter solstice are important for our collective soul.  For remembering that after darkness always comes light.  For getting in tune with the rhythms of the world on which we live.  And for knowing, spiritually and emotionally, that the darkest hour always comes before dawn.

Follow your dreams with Mind Key!

Mind Key is all about finding inspiration to follow your dreams, to live your healthiest, happiest and most passionate life.  For many of us, that includes the creative pursuit of writing and being involved in the writing process.

Following on the heels of Danielle’s awesome Chimera novel pitch and a wildly successful 2015 NaNoWriMo, we here at Mind Key would like to offer our lovingly crafted writing and editing services.  These services would be a perfect gift for yourself or a loved one this holiday season and come in many forms.

Charla Dury

The Mind Key writing team can provide story editing services, pointing out your writing strengths as well as possibly needed story edits.  Your novel, story or writing project doesn’t even need to be complete for this step!

I (Charla Dury), Mind Key editor, can provide overall editing services to include a more detailed review of the entire novel, editing for grammar and readability as well as offering suggestions for any inconsistency and plot holes.

Audrey Solarino, a professional copy editor, will proof-read your novel for content, readability, grammar, spelling, style and more.

Danielle Rose offers a novel coaching service to help you prepare your novel in the final stages.  This can include query letters to publishing houses, staging a marketing plan and even presenting yourself and your novel!

Danielle Rose

All of these services are even offered as a package!  The Great American Novel Package is available at a deep discount (based on services purchased individually!)

All of these services can be purchased with Mind Key Gift certificates, too, which is really the best part.  Mind Key gift certificates are available through Danielle Rose and can be used to purchase anything on the Mind Key Store!  The Mind Key store offers products and services from many of the Mind Key members:

Mind Key Anthologies old and new

Body, Heart & Soul - Healing services

Help with Creativity and Enlightenment

Writing and editing services can be found in the Follow Your Dream section

Inspiration section provides many ways to discover your heart and soul

And even Professional and Business Services!

Visit the Mind Key Store today and get inspired!!!

Healthy splurging.... a tradition of self-love

Dictionary.com  defines "diet" as the general condition of the body or mind with reference to soundness and vigor.  This definition is rapidly followed by entry number 2: a particular selection of food, especially as designed or prescribed to improve a person's physical condition or to prevent or treat a disease.  And entry number 3: such a selection or a limitation on the amount a person eats for reducing weight.

We're almost halfway through December, and I'm thinking that all of the above are probably the last things on my mind at the moment.  I'm surrounded by Thanksgiving leftovers (luckily they're all gone now… but the sweets lingered for a frighteningly long time), gingerbread houses (it's amazing how much icing I unwittingly licked off my fingers), Christmas cookies (the time has come to start making dough), and holiday parties serving more food than I could possibly try (but I promise you I will!).

The good news is those high carb, “fattening,” and treat foods, when eaten in moderation, can be as important to a healthy diet as eating the “good stuff.”

Even cookies homemade from scratch can provide emotional nutrition in the right circumstances.

As much as we’d like to think there’s some magic equation, what’s healthy for one person is not necessarily healthy for the next. Some people swear by eggs for breakfast, and others avoid cholesterol completely. Homemade cookies from scratch can provide emotional nutrition in the right circumstances. Although the jury is still out on the health benefits of coffee, there are many healthy people cannot start their day without a cup.

Health counselor, Robert Garner said, “The things that feed our soul are the things that propel us out of bed in the morning.”

I feel it’s important to remember that the food we eat is intended to fortify, sustain, and enrich our bodies.  Chances are a chocolate chip cookie won’t do that.  When it comes from Grandma’s cookie jar, however, it may just sustain our soul.


For example, if you choose to eat a rather large slice of your mother’s Christmas apple pie, you are engaging in a holiday tradition of honoring your mother’s recipe and hard work while bonding with family. This example of emotional eating is a far cry from eating a bag of chips or cookies without thinking about it.

Garner shared a story about a woman who had good sugar levels and ate healthy throughout the day, but indulged in a slice of cake each night.  Garner learned that the nightly slice of cake was a tradition she and her mother had shared together since she was a little girl.  Garner suggested that she continue the nightly ritual—her body was obviously processing this emotional splurge quite well—probably because she ate the cake slowly with intention and meaningful attachment… and because she ate well the rest of the time.

Eating well isn’t as much about restriction as it is about mindfulness.  When we choose to eat a cookie because it is part of our Christmas tradition, our bodies will process that cookie differently than if scarfed at our desk without really thinking about it. 

Because each body works differently, in order to maintain balance between eating healthy and eating for emotion or tradition, we must remain mindful of what we’re putting in our bodies and why.  Surrounding these traditions with fear, or mindlessness, on the other hand, is likely to make them more detrimental to our physical and spiritual health than the indulgences alone.  Neglecting your spirit at a party or holiday gathering because you've sworn off sugar can bring in more weight (both figuratively and literally) than if you allowed yourself to enjoy the moment by nibbling on your favorite treat.

How will you celebrate this holiday? With an overly strict diet, or with enough self-love and confidence to make good choices in every moment?

Wearing and living your enchanted muse with avalove

Ms. Ava Hu

"I hope to be able to inspire others to feel good when they wear avalove, and live their dream!"

Ava Hu is a writer and artist and businesswoman who is most passionate about the moment creation happens.  She has contributed four poems to Mind Key's Yin and Yang: The Duality of Balance and is a wildly successful clothing artist in New York City.  Ava's muse, spirit, and inspiration is the moment creation happens. (Click HERE to read a review of her poetry and accompanying art in Yin and Yang).

Inspired by music and nature—by branches, bodies of water, flowers, birds and botanics, and feathers of all shapes and sizes—Ava's life has been dedicated to following the song of her heart and her soul to create wearable art that is true to her own vision and muse.

"I think it’s a fine line between poetry and art.  Art to me is a visual metaphor that can bring you to the same place as a poem or any work of art, if you let it…. I view my prints as works of art and my body of clothing as the canvas."

Avalove began while Ava was working at a magazine and completing her master's in poetry. One day she realized, "Wait, I’m an artist!"

After this ah-ha! moment, Ava started looking for a way to make a living with her creativity.  She started by taking her artwork to the streets of SoHo in New York City. Her collages turned into silkscreens, and before she knew it she had a line every weekend at her table.

"The shirts kept selling, to the point where I realized, I could make more doing this than being an editor in a magazine! So I took a giant leap!"

Like most of the Mind Key community, Ava has been blessed to work with a great team of artists and others who support her by selling in her shop, working the website and social media, and more. She is as equally passionate about helping and supporting other artists in achieving their dream as she is about creating her own art.

"Every person who helps me make avalove happen are all artists themselves, so every penny goes direct to each of us, who go home at night to work more on our own art."

Ava has been selling her art and clothing line on the streets of New York City for the past eight years and is now featured in Chelsea Market. She has a pop up shop at Artists & Fleas that she has transformed into a forest.

"The exposure and support that has come from NYC locals and visitors from all over the world has helped me change a tiny business where I was printing clothes on my living room floor, to being able to sew my own items, and expand into publishing more poetry, and collaborating with other artists."

Discover some of avalove's items with links to how to purchase these inspirational, wearable, pieces of art and poetry for yourself or a friend this holiday season. [Keep reading to discover a special offer from avalove for our readers!] 

The Fairytale Trees, one of avalove's best selling designs, are enchanted.  When you wear them, Ava says, special magic happens:
http://www.avaloveshop.com/shop/fairytale-trees-longsleeve

The trees also come as a cowl neck sweatshirt, one of Ava's own designs that are cut, sewn and printed locally in Bushwick, Brooklyn.  "It’s one of my favorites, it’s exactly what I would wear and do wear all winter long, and it is enchanted!"
http://www.avaloveshop.com/shop/cut-and-sew-fairytale-trees-cowl-neck

The Ava*Lok Reversible Bodhisattva Tee with inside Lotus Flowers is a very special limited edition piece with Tibetan Bodhisattva, avalokiteshvara, placed on both the front and the back of the shirt on the heart, and inside, are lotus flowers.  This shirt can be worn inside out or outside in, wearing the bodhisattva as a secret close to your heart.
http://www.avaloveshop.com/shop/avalok-tee-with-lotus-flowers


Tree Pose Poem was written after a particularly inspiring yoga class with Ava's favorite teacher, Dechen Thurman. The poem is Ava's own instructions for the asana, tree pose, and is printed on one of the most famous avalove shirts.

"This design has been around for at least five years because customers keep requesting it, and some own more than one version of this!"

Tree Pose Poem

If you breathe in, and lift your right leg up,

foot resting on your inner thigh, knee pulled right

perpendicular to the earth,

and balance on the left;

if you raise your hands in prayer

and take them to the heart;

if you breathe deep, as if

going beneath sea water,

if you, bow your forehead down like the willow,

if you, like the dogwood,

are brash and bawdy in bloom,

if you, are heavy with the salty and sticky

syrup of the sandal tree,

would you give birth to it:

and exhale this thousand and one suns and moons,

your mouth a temple, your body the branches and silvery bark,

is it the sun that moves you,

or is it you who moves the sun?

"The thing about art, is not all of it translates into sellable pieces, some art, is just art, for art’s sake, so avalove is a way to figure out this artist’s equation. It’s really a gorgeous equation, and I’m so proud of that.  That’s my very favorite thing about the brand."


SPECIAL OFFER:  TEXT the word “LOVE” TO 66866 to get 20% off your avalove at www.avaloveshop.com

+poems here avamhu.com
+enlightenment theenlightenmentprojects.com
+purchase  avaloveshop.com

Artists and Fleas in Chelsea Market
AVALOVE SHOP
459 W. 15th Street
New York, NY 10011
____________

Holiday Season Stress? Yes, You've Got in Under Control

This month Mind Key will be sharing stories and tips for living in the moment with ease and brilliance this holiday. Inspirational author and motivational speaker, Azuka Zuke, provides encouragement and insights on how we can remain positive and present with our loved ones and the beauty of peace during even the most stressful moments this holiday.

author Azuka Zuke

 *   *   * 

                   It’s holiday season again.  A time when we get into the frenzy of celebrations. From holiday songs to decoration adorned houses lining streets of holiday shoppers. For some people, this is an exciting time. But for others, this can also be a tough time of year. We all want peace, beauty, mindfulness, happiness, strength and joy, but oftentimes we find ourselves overwhelmed with to-do lists that are too long, school stress, financial stress, job stress,  family matters and even illness as the weather changes.

Do you find yourself in any of these challenges? Are you overwhelmed with the pressures of  the holiday season? Are you running late in meeting the demands of shopping for all your family members? Are you stressed financially at this time of year? If you are in this category, I can assure you now that there is a better way to make the situation stress free. As a published author and motivational speaker, I have some advice for you to give you hope to be able to navigate the stresses of the holiday season and even beyond.

1.     Develop a positive attitude and apply it to any situation in which you find yourself. Understand that holidays will come and go and more will come, so do not beat yourself down if you do not achieve all you intended. You don’t have to do everything in one day.   No matter how late you are running on schedule, stay positive for it is the best attitude. 

2.     Delegate some duties to trusted relatives so you can have some breathing space and rest.  Delegating authority is very important. Oftentimes we want to do it all. In our desire to do the will of God, we may take on too many responsibilities. In as much as it is done with a clear intention for positive results, we end up overwhelming ourselves. The key is this- be positively minded, be a positive leader, exhibit all the positive energy, but delegate responsibilities. Moses spent every day listening to complaints from his loved people until he was told to slow down lest he wear himself out. He was advised to appoint capable people to help carry the load. In essence he was advised to appoint leaders from the positively minded people that surrounded him. That way they could all lead together to achieve more results and never be overwhelmed. In other words, we should learn to delegate and release burdens sometimes.  That way we can achieve more.

3.     Surrounding yourself with positive and happy people who will always discuss how great the holiday season is going, no matter what . Avoid negativity and self-criticisms.  That is the first step to thinking positively. Change your thoughts to positives and you are on the road to creating a great holiday season.

4.     Finally, play good music that keeps your body and soul together, laugh more, and meditate every morning and last thing at night before bed to relax yourself. Remember no matter how stressful things may be, no matter how busy you are, rest is still very important and a vital part of a healthy lifestyle.

Stay the course, stay strong and enjoy the season, but stay positive. You’ll be fine.

-       Azuka Zuke, Motivational Speaker/ Author. A disciple of the movement  for change and gratitude.   

Azuka is the author of inspirational books and loves speaking in schools.  His books will be available for sale this week in the Mind Key store.

Discover Azuka:

www.AzukaZuke.com      azukazuke@gmail.com