I love hanging out with my great nieces and nephews and children in general. They are so real (no filters), so silly and so much fun! 

They are fully present. They aren’t worried about the past or the future. They express how they feel. When they are sad, they are sad. When they are happy, they are happy. It's so refreshing.
 

It doesn't matter how old I am when September rolls around I still get that 'back to school' feeling. 

I remember being excited about the first day of school - to see all of my friends, having new school supplies and a brand new outfit to wear.

Was I excited about learning? Hmm, I'm not so sure about that. But the learning still happened!

As you are reading this -  I am at a meditation retreat up north and I have been in complete silence for 6 days. Oh how I love my life and my amazing assistant who keeps things rolling. Thank you Dan!

My life is getting better and better all of the time, and it feels great to acknowledge this.

In a few days, I'm heading up north to a 10 day silent meditation retreat. I am very excited!

Yes - complete silence. There is no reading, writing, listening to music. We do long hours of meditation (10 hours or more) and also walking meditations in nature. A bonus - the food is delicious.

We all have stress, right?

Some stress is actually good for us.  

Unfortunately, a lot people are stressed out most of the time.

It has become the norm...It was my norm for years and years.

I experienced a random act of kindness and I wanted to share it with you...it made me smile and I hope it brightens your day as well!

I take a walk along the river almost every day – I just love it. 

This is what I saw on my walk.....

What I love about our weekly emails is we get to explore mindfulness and life together. 

So this week can we talk about food?

I love food!

My mom is someone who inspires me deeply. At the age of 85, she is filled with vitality, has a depth of spirituality and is always giving back. 

Lately, I have been reflecting on the importance of giving back and being of service - and how it makes me feel when I do this. 

I was raised this way. 

It is so great to connect with you this week!

I'd like to introduce you to my friend Mara. She inspires me deeply. 

Mara started meditating when she was 6 years old. Now at the age of 12, she still meditates every day.
 

I don’t know about you but, the older I get the more I realize how precious time is - and time seems to just fly by.

Picture this…

It’s a beautiful summer weekend and you just want to chill out and relax…

BUT your mind won’t shut off. 

I'm always on the look out for new ways of exploring and teaching mindfulness.  

I'm like a kid in a candy store - I get very excited!

My friend Dan Woodward, who is a yogi and passionate meditator, just shared this little gem with me. So of course, I want to share it with you.

This week I thought we could talk about relationships. We all have them, right?   

Would you agree that some people in your life are SO easy to communicate with while others are more challenging? 
 
Do you have someone in your life who triggers you OR you are constantly judging them and think THEY should change?

I have a question for you...

Do you eat lunch at your desk? And while you're eating are you working away?

I teach mindfulness in the workplace and, when asked, most people say 'yes' they do eat lunch at their desk because they don't have enough time to take a break.

We have a lot in common.

But sometimes it can feel like we are all alone and no one else could possibly understand or feel the same way we do.

Have you ever felt that way? I have.

I am so grateful to be connecting with you this week. As I am writing this email to you I am imagining we are sitting together and having a nice, relaxing conversation - and it fills my heart. 

This week I am wondering if you would like to join me and practice being mindful and present in the morning. It's more fun and inspiring when we know we aren't alone in this. 

What I love about practicing mindfulness is that it is a practice.

This is one of my favourite ways of describing how to practice mindfulness during the day.

Are you ready?

Anytime you become aware you aren't present– surprise! You are present.

I don't know about you - but I love spending time in nature. It soothes my soul.

I am really fortunate because I'm only a few blocks from the river. So pretty much every day I go for a beautiful walk along the pathway. It feels like my backyard!

Nature helps me to be in the moment and feel at peace. It opens up my heart to more gratitude and love.  

For those of you who know me - you know that meditation didn't always come easy to me, right?  

I openly share that when I started to meditate it was challenging and I didn't always enjoy it. In fact, I may have even told my teacher that I hated meditating. (I admit - I was rather dramatic!)
 

Welcome to week 3 of Living in Love not Fear...

This week our topic is anxiety.

Anxiety is on the rise.

I meet people young and old who are suffering from anxiety. It seems to be the norm. 

Welcome to week 2 of Living in Love Not Fear...

Are you ready to continue this journey together?

This week I want to talk about the 'f' word...FEAR.