The Body Temple

Honoring the body temple can mean many different things to many different people. And for me, it means several ways of honoring, but the intention remains the same. I may have a variety of opinions, a great number of interests, abundant passions, and have assorted items on my bucket list still to be done. BUT the one thing that remains constant is the fact that I have only one body in this lifetime and the better I honor it, the more I cherish what it offers me and the more I respect its needs…my body responds brilliantly. Years ago I learned that I needed to begin this relationship anew. My disrespect of my body was costly. I suffered from obesity. I had little energy. My self-esteem struggled. My health was beginning to deteriorate. My future depended on this awakening of honor. My life changed dramatically from the moment I made the commitment forward.

Since this relationship overhaul I have learned to listen to my body as it expresses its needs. I learned that a number of foods my body cannot tolerate. I have learned to eat only foods that my body can celebrate a healthy relationship with. As I made the changes, my physical form changed as well. I have shed well over 140 pounds. I have gone from a size 26 to a size 14.

As the weight came off, I discovered the joy of movement. Now I could walk without exhaustion, dance without pain, bend without discomfort. I have learned how strong my body can be. I have discovered the joy of flexibility. I have embraced the fun I can have with my body and its movement. Every day there is something to celebrate.

Honoring my body also means down time. Time for silence in everyday, to get centered, grounded, and focused. I make time take in the beauty of each day. And time to be grateful for all I have in my life. I create time, no matter how busy, to connect with Spirit and listen closely to the messages and insights.

Finding the pause my body needs is equally important. Sleep affords me time for rejuvenation and inner stillness. Stillness creates space for creativity and wonder. Calm allows the rhythm of the moment to reach my heart and set the beat to follow. Spirit guides me through the gentle movements I need to find my balance and alignment.

Honoring my body also includes time for creativity, play, relationships, and more. I have found my body temple is a beautiful structure that needs attention and appreciation, commitment and devotion. I have learned that I am the only one who can be my body’s keeper. I am its guardian, its lover, its caretaker and its devotee. My body patiently waited for me to wakeup to its needs. I will never leave my watch again. My intentions are clear, my respect is strong, and my dedication firm.

My body is one of the greatest gifts I have been given. I will never take for granted its magnificence again. I count my blessings often and I treasure my body daily.

As we head into the weekend, I hope you will take a moment and listen deeply to the messages your body is sending you. Any special requests? In what ways do you express your honor of the Temple?

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade

The Lens of Possibilities

I have spent the last several days stretching the perception of what I have thought myself to be, of who I thought I was and of how I would bring myself into the future. I have been given opportunity to be lovingly supported and challenged in this stretching. I have been called to task, given pause to reflect, ritual to honor, guidance to lean into and sistership to celebrate. And things have changed. I arrived at this moment, hungry and aware that I needed to be fed. I arrived at this place on the path with hopes and awareness. I did not take this opportunity for granted or lightly. I was ready for what Spirit was bringing to the table.

It has taken many years and much growth to even be able to get here. It has taken so much release of the shoulds, the stories, the pain, the expectations and the fear. I have had to experience what wasn’t in order to embrace what was. I have been asked to take things within my life, assess them, to look at them from a distance and then to focus on them with a lens of intense focus. I have had to make difficult choices.

Life is not what we always expect it to be, nor is it always what others tell us it should be. BUT it is always what it is supposed to be. Living in this place of conscious awareness has now brought me to today, to a place of stretching and of reaching the widest of expanse of possibilities. I think it is something I have grown to be comfortable in. It is not always enjoyable, it is not always easy, and it is definitely not always clear. But living this way, slowly flowing into each of these transitions within my days, I don’t miss the lessons as often. I more often am aware of the moments of insight and wonder.

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade

Mindful Acts In the Making

What does being mindful mean to you? For some it is paying attention and for others it is being focused. For me it means to be aware of everything that is going on inside and outside of me. Let me share a few examples of mindfulness. I am aware of the blue sky and the chirping birds and the dew soaking into my sneakers as I cross the grass in the morning to smell the blooming flowers in the backyard. I am aware of the smile lines forming at the corners of your eyes as you listen to a song on the radio that invokes memories from when you were a teenager. I am aware of the sense of joy that relaxes through my body when I pull into the driveway after returning from a trip away from home. This awareness is in the energy that we are all a part of. It is all around us and in all things. Our minds are very busy. Studies show we have as many as 60,000 thoughts each day! To be mindful we have to quiet our mind. It is beneath these thousands and thousands of thoughts that our inner peace resides. Within that peace rests our mindfulness. We find in that peace a place of pause. We find enough time and space to embrace the blue sky, the birds, the dew, the smiles, and the joy. We can be present with these glorious gifts that Spirit sends our way throughout our day.

We all have the ability to quiet our minds. It takes intention and practice. Starting small is best. Allow a few minutes a day where you bring mindfulness to the moment. Just be present with what you are observing. If other thoughts enter, sweep them away. If you are watching the sunset, enjoying the wispy clouds, the pastel colors the sun has painted across the sky and the golden rays sinking beneath the horizon and you suddenly think about calling your son’s teacher about an assignment…sweep that thought away and revisit the sunset. Assess how you feel as you watch the setting sun. How is your body responding? How are the birds and other creatures responding? How is the light shifting? Stay in the moment as long as you can. Each time you do this you will find it gets a bit easier and easier. You may find you begin to look forward to it. You may find you turn to this practice at times when your thoughts are overwhelming and getting the better of you. Patience and practice. Your mind works so very hard all day long. Being mindful gives it a moment of graceful pause. And your body and spirit take delight in this space of awareness.

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade

The Power for Tomorrow

We live in a society where people are applauded for standing out above the rest. This gives one the perception that anything that is not exceptional is less than. Yet, how many of us live moments that look like a script from an award winning television show, or with a golden award hanging around our neck or or awaken to thunderous applause. Many are caught up in a game of competition. This type of living brings many of my clients to my door asking me, “What do I do with the rest of my life?” They are looking for a special vision, an important mission, a unique calling. They feel inadequate without this. What they are missing is that they are looking to others, looking outside of themselves, and comparing and contrasting their life with others for the answer.

The answer is not outside of them, but instead it is within them. That is where the call lives. It takes great courage to be able to BE with this. It takes understanding and inner strength to release the need to be better than others. It takes understanding that all one needs to be is the best that they can be at any given moment.

This allows us to let go of the need to think about what others are thinking or saying about us. It gives us the room and the grace to live by our own principles. We develop a courage to ask ourselves growth producing questions. It allows room for us to explore and discover new concepts and see how they fit with who we are.

How you choose to view the life you have right now, how you choose to live it, to be with it and to explore it is the greatest indicator of how exceptional you truly are. So many people live lives of judgment and opinions of others. To refrain from this practice and to instead place the energy and focus on their own lives is where inner truth resides. Being authentic with our self and practicing this authenticity daily gives power to our tomorrows.

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade