His foundation, The Archimedes Alliance, is named after the Greek mathematician who said, “give me a lever long enough and a place to stand, and I can move the earth.”

By NASA Goddard Photo and Video, shared via Flickr

“I knew there were people who wanted to make a difference but didn’t have enough money to do it on their own,” he says in his on-line video. “Now, they don’t have to. I launched the Archimedes Alliance to leverage the power of the Internet and to bring together people of good intentions and limited resources and give them a voice and a means to create the change they envision.”

I just donated from my Nurture Life Coaching business account, please take a minute to send your own donation right now!

Photo by Martin Burns, shared via Flickr

Rama is on a journey through the wilderness with some friends. He keeps hearing his name being called from afar even though no one else can hear the voice. After some time, he decides that he can’t rest without discovering what is calling his name so he sets off alone to head the call. Finally, the voice seems to be coming from a large, hard rock. Rama places his hands compassionately on the rock to better understand how it could be speaking to him. And this kind touch releases the curse on the Goddess Ahalya and she bursts out of the rock. This begins a new chapter of life for them both. 

What I loved about this version of the story is the way Rama can not rest until he heeds the call that no one else can hear. We all have times in our life when we feel “called” toward something, even when it doesn’t make sense to others (or ourselves for that matter). Sometimes we ignore the call and this causes suffering. But sometimes we are brave enough to set out alone and follow the voice we hear deep inside.

Another point this story makes is the importance of compassion. Rama was willing to lay a kind hand on the rock even though he couldn’t make sense of his experience and didn’t know what was being asked of him. We all have opportunities to turn kind, compassionate attention toward the confusing events of life and when we do, surprising outcomes can occur. Like a beautiful woman bursting out of the rock! And that beautiful woman is usually just another version of ourselves that has been waiting to be seen and acknowledged.

What is calling you lately? Is it time to pause and heed the call?

Photo by lifescript, via Flickr

When I posted a link to the video on Facebook, a dear friend appreciated the message but asked the question, “so without having a tragedy like this, how does one connect with her body?” I thought this was such an important question that I am answering it here. There is no one right answer, but these are some of the ways I have learned from the women I have worked with over the past 8 years.

Be aware of present-time experiences. Your body is living in this very moment while your mind is often mulling over the past or future tripping. The more you are able to be in the right now, the more connected you will be to your body.

Listen to your body’s signals and impulses. Your body is incredibly wise and offers you subtle (and not-so subtle) cues about what you need in terms of rest, nourishment, movement, connection and more. Even taking a few seconds to take some deep breaths and ask, “What do I need right now?” will give you some answers. And remember,  your breath is the one unconscious thing your body does that you can make conscious just by paying attention!

Time time for body-loving rituals. Dig your toes deep in the mud of your garden, get some bodywork, make love to yourself (or someone else) and relish every delicious second of it, do a sun salutation in front of your living room window…

Move. If you hate going to the gym, please don’t go. Instead, move in what ever way your body does enjoy. Dance, hula hoop, walk and talk with a friend, row a boat, learn martial arts, play in the water, run around the park hugging trees with your kiddos…whatever you do, let your body do what it loves. And I promise, every body enjoys some form of movement.

Appreciate at least one thing about your body every single day. That’s right, look in the mirror and find something to love about yourself. Your strong legs, great complexion, smooth elbows, naturally wavy hair, brilliant smile…

Photo by Mario Izquierdo, via Flickr

Please leave your own ideas about connecting with your body in the comments below!

Photo by labguest, shared via Flickr

Do you ever wonder why it is so difficult to communicate when you are upset? In the moments when you would most like to clearly speak about your feelings and thoughts, do you find yourself stuttering, confused, and verbally frustrated?

The source of your problem may be in the structure of your brain! Neuroscientist Paul MacLean coined the term “triune brain” to describe his theory that there are three distinct but interconnected layers of the human brain: the brain stem, the limbic system, and the cerebral cortex. A complex network of nerves connects the limbic system and the cerebral cortex, linking your thoughts and emotions.

But, this is not a perfect system, especially when you are under stress. Many of your deepest feelings are experienced through the limbic system but it can be a difficult translation through the more logical cerebral cortex and into language.

You do however have in your capacity a tool that can make a difference: empathy. Your ability to sense the emotional pain of another person (and yourself) resides in your limbic system. However, when you actively use empathy, you also employ your cerebral cortex to make observations and reflections about your own and another person’s experience. This can help both regions of your brain work together and help you communicate more clearly!

Here are some basic steps for using empathy to communicate more clearly:

1. Begin by noticing your own feelings with as much compassion as possible. This mindful observing will begin the process of engaging both the limbic and cerebral regions of your brain.

2. Consider the perspective of the other person and make some guesses about what they are feeling and needing. Set aside your your criticisms as much as possible.

3. Instead of stumbling to force your feelings into a logical argument, simply share what exactly you are feeling. You might be surprised how just naming a feeling helps you to feel more clear.

If you want to learn more about effective communication, my good friend LaShelle Chard offers some very helpful workshops.

A big piece of the life coaching work I do with clients is helping them to see past their own limitations, both perceived and actual. And sometimes the gifts in our lives are actually within our own limitations and challenges. For Caroline Casey, this was the truth.  Her adventurous spirit demanded that she live her dreams, despite a significant disability, and now she is helping others do the same. Watch it on TED Talks. You will be glad you did!

Each of us has a relationship just like this in our lives.

You might wonder who this could be, but it’s your own body!

Sometimes we treat our bodies like enemies rather than the resource that they are. We try to reject, change and blame our bodies and sometimes even abandon them by living more in our heads.

Regardless of the challenges your body has, from food allergies to chronic illness, working with (rather than against) her is the path to greater freedom.

Your body is wiser than your mind can comprehend. She can help you heal emotional pain, make clear choices and find your equilibrium. No matter how many times you feel like she has let you down, treat her with compassion and understanding (as you would anyone you love).

Talk to your body as you would your dearest friend. Let her guide and support you to greater wholeness. Listen carefully to her messages.

She isn’t going anywhere without you.

Being intentional because it will get you what you want seems to me to be a consumerist version of spirituality.

I suggest being more present and mindful because it connects you with the wisest, most authentic aspects of yourself despite your circumstance and regardless of whether you get what you want or not.

Being intentional guides you to live by your values with a more open-heart, even if it doesn’t always take you down your expected path. You will have more access to your inner resources and and better able to creatively meet life’s challenges, which will come even if you have an affirmation that claims otherwise.

Does focusing your thoughts and feelings (and therefore your actions) sometimes result in a more positive outcome? Absolutely! But, the expectation that it always will can lead to disappointment and self-doubt during the inevitable twists and turns of life.

Go ahead and apply your Jedi mind powers to the mysteries of life…but be prepared for the picture to be bigger than your limited vision. And when it is, be present and intentional anyway, simply because you will enjoy your life more if you do.

Here are a few thoughts from Brene:

• Connection is the universal desire of all human beings.
• Shame is the fear of disconnection
• Courage is telling your story with your whole heart and being seen in your imperfections.
• We can’t practice compassion if we don’t treat ourselves kindly.
• You are imperfect, wired for struggle and worthy of love and belonging.
• Being fully vulnerable is being fully alive.

I hesitate to even use the word balance because it can carry the heavy expectation of perfection and makes us feel we should be given equal time and energy to everything, which is usually impossible! I like to think about balance as being more about internal equilibrium: how do you feel about your life? Do you have the energy and attention to focus on the things that are really important to you?

Too often, we compare ourselves to other people and forget that each of us is unique. My off-kilter might not look anything like your off-kilter. And no one can define balance for you.

Let me say that again: No one can define balance for you!

It is helpful to know your signals for when you are off-kilter. What happens when you aren’t getting you needs met regularly? How do you know when you aren’t paying enough attention to the areas of your life that really matter?

If you are a body-oriented person,  you might have symptoms show up in your body like: digestive challenges, skin flare-ups, reoccurring colds, chronic tiredness, body pain or lack of physical motivation…

If you tend to dwell more in your head, you might have some of the following: anxiety, trouble sleeping, grumpiness, quick to anger, busy mind, needing to control…

And if you are more emotional, you might notice some of these symptoms: depression, moodiness, a sense of overwhelm, chronic guilt, tearfulness and more…

Once you can easily recognize your signs of being off-kilter, you can adjust before you get too far off track. Begin with a  simple question like: What do I need right now?

If you would like to learn more about listening to your inner wisdom, I invite you to join me for a FREE women’s circle next Saturday, October 23rd. You can register here.