By balancewithgrace on 6/29/2006 1:10 PM

Water makes up 2/3 of our body’s composition and covers 2/3 of the Earth’s surface.  Having spent nine month’s in our mother’s womb before entering the world, water can feel like a comfortable place to return to let go and rejuvenate.  No wonder it’s often referred to as the source or a wellspring. People often find peace, refreshment when they are in or near water.  Even the sound of water—the sound of lapping waves or the trickle of a fountain can be soothing.  There’s evidence of the link between water ... Read More »

By Grace Durfee on 5/10/2006 4:49 PM

Yesterday morning I had an Ah Ha moment—not during my early meditation--but while vacuuming.  They do say that cleanliness is next to godliness, so I guess this shouldn’t be so surprising.  Although I’ve always encouraged my clients to find ways of making what they HAVE to do more fun, I have to confess that I’ve struggled with applying this to mundane household chores, especially cleaning. 

 We are fortunate to have cleaning help every other week, but on the off-weeks, we do the cleaning ourselves.   Although I’ve re ... Read More »

By balancewithgrace on 5/8/2006 3:54 PM

Having recently spent 10 days on vacation with my family on the coast of California and in Yosemite, my spirit feels very full.  There is something about being in nature that both anchors me to a deeper part of myself and makes me feel connected to all that is. 

Some of the experiences and vistas that reawakened my sense of wonder and awe were ... Read More »

Leisure

By Grace Durfee on 4/13/2006 12:01 PM

What is Spirit?  Here are some things that come to mind for me:

 

Spirit is the infinite wisdom—all that is.  And as we are a part of what is, we, too are spirit. 

Spirit is the voice of pure love—unadulterated by doubt, misgiving, cynicism, cattiness

Spirit is a force that flows in the direction of your highest good and the highest good for all concerned

Spirit is ever-present—regardless of whether we are aware of it or not< ... Read More »

By Grace Durfee on 4/4/2006 8:18 PM

Here's a mindfulness exercise that's quite popular with workshop participants and children.  It's adapted from an exercise in Self-Nurture : Learning to Care for Yourself As Effectively As You Care for Everyone Else by Alice Domar and Henry Dreher. 

 

Chose a Hershey’s Kiss or Hug for this mindfulness meditation.< ... Read More »

By Grace Durfee on 4/4/2006 3:13 PM

Books and Audio Products

 

Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D. is a highly respected teacher and expert in the field of mind-body medicine.  He founded the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center in Read More »

By Grace Durfee on 3/31/2006 6:12 PM

One of the reasons I’m launching this blog is to discipline myself to regularly create content for a forthcoming book titled Coffeetable Spirit TM.  I’m collaborating with two other coaches, Lydia Roy and Carol Gifford, on this book project, so they may occasionally contribute to the blog as well. 

 

We’d love to create dialog around this topic and welcome your comments and re ... Read More »

By Grace Durfee on 3/30/2006 6:13 PM

Heightening the awareness of the senses through mindfulness is a wonderful way to become fully present, anchored in the moment.

 

Begin in a comfortable seated position, either sitting in a chair with legs and arms uncrossed or seated cross-legged on the floor.  You can sit on a pillow if that helps keep your spine easily aligned in an upright position.  You may keep your eyes open, especially if you are reading this and practicing for the first time.  Later on as you become accustomed to the practice you may want to close your e ... Read More »

By balancewithgrace on 3/28/2006 12:37 PM

The resistance I sometimes experience to making time for meditation and quiet moments of reflection comes because I tell myself, “I’m too busy,” “there’s no time for this,” or “there are too many other things I have to do.”  From what my coaching clients tell me, I know that I’m not alone in having these feelings.

 

Recently, during an unusually lightly scheduled weekday morning, I sat in meditation after doing yoga.  As I frequently find when I meditate, my mind didn’t stay blank for long. Read More »