WTF is Self-Care

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When you read the words “self-care,” what do you think of?  Spa treatment? Weight-loss? Exercise?  I define self-care not with one word, but with a collection of five: Mind, Fuel, Movement, Space & Renewal.

Self-care is about how you mentally treat yourself, what you feed yourself, the way you move your body, the space you choose to be in and how you restore your energy.

We are holistic, multifaceted creatures who live in a complex world.  We are a reflection of our reality, the world we’ve chosen and created. I love helping my clients wake up from their sleep-walking habits and routines to take an all-inclusive picture of what is and isn’t working in their life. Self-care is about helping them pause to think about how they are prioritizing their self first so that they feel fully alive and energized, are able to give to others, and can do what they love. When you are running on low batteries, it is hard to show up and support your partner, co-worker, friend or even have the energy to be creative and passionate about your own projects! You may find yourself lashing out because you are irritable, sleep deprived or fueling yourself with crappy food, which in turn, perpetuates your draining cycle. When you notice you can’t seem to escape from that sensation of constantly running up hill, it might mean it’s time for a self-care tune-up.

Practicing self-care was what healed me during and after chemotherapy. Without prioritizing my own needs I would have never had the energy or passion to follow my heart and do what I love. I felt unhappy, had low energy and felt I couldn’t do anything right. Practicing self-care gave me strength, a positive outlook on life, deeper love and appreciation for my body, more awareness of my tribe and knowledge of how to fuel my life. It all started by committing to myself, shifting my mind-set, finding community and taking powerful and purposeful action

The flight attendant saying is true: “be sure to adjust your own oxygen mask before helping others.” When you aren’t breathing—when you’re not taking care of yourself—you are no help to yourself or anyone around you. So ask yourself: Am I breathing? Is my breath deep enough to truly feel my best?  To truly feel alive and thriving?

My self-care practices shift, but I have a few staples I consciously incorporate into my daily being.

1.     Meditating

2.     Eating lots of vegetables

3.     Walking a lot (it’s my principal mode of transportation)

4.     Drinking lots of water (preferable with lemon)

5.     Making eye contact with others

6.     Morning gratitude

7.     Journaling

8.     Eight hours of sleep

9.     Seeing friends

10. Talking/spending time with family

The more I dive deeper into understanding my self-care practices, the more I notice the importance of striking a balance between scheduling certain non-negotiable staples into my day (i.e. actions from my list of 10) and working to stay present and tuned into my body’s needs. I notice that when I don’t practice meditating or don’t move my body, my whole energy and demeanor feel off.  My self-care staples keep me breathing and aligned—full of life and energy to give back to my community and world around me.

So what are your self-care staples that keep you breathing? Brainstorm your ten daily staples in the comments below or feel free to email me and share!  If you’re saying to yourself:  “oh shit,… what are my daily staples?” then reach out to me for more support.

Life is too short to allow yourself to not breath fully. Take a moment to make yourself a priority and decide how you get to give yourself some extra love and attention everyday without guilt or shame.

It is Time to Celebrate! For Spring, for Birthdays and for Life!

Celebrating is an important part of life that we sometimes forget to do, oftentimes because, once we hit our goal or cross a task off our list, we jump right to the next challenge. Does that sound familiar? Or time goes by so fast that we don’t pause to acknowledge how far we have come and all that we have accomplished. Instead, we keep our attention geared on how far we still have to go or all the never-ending tasks that we still have left to do!

I know I’m guilty.  For instance, I just celebrated a birthday a few days ago and took some alone time to reflect. I cuddled up in the sun with my journal and dove into my being-ness. I realized that as I began the next year of my life, my mind kept returning to all that’s missing and how far I still am away from my ideal life. My mind raced to how my career isn’t where I thought it would be at this age, my friendships could be stronger, how I wish that I’d taken that cool Ayurvedic course or that my health isn’t just a little better.  I observed my mind spin, spiraling into thoughts of doubt, sadness and lack-of. This only occurred for a few minutes, but it felt like an eternity.  

Instead of getting sucked into the vortex of my negative self-talk, I practiced my SELF (Stop, Exhale, Listen, Focus) method to combat these destructive thoughts. I said to myself, “ STOP, Wade.” I EXHALED loudly out of my mouth to release tension/toxicity. I LISTENED to my body and mind, and then I FOCUSED on the facts.  I focused on the fact that it is my fucking birthday and I get to celebrate me instead of attacking myself. Thank goodness, my SELF-method kicked in because I realized my self-talk was being the “Debbie-downer” of my birthday.  I had the opportunity to snap out of it and switch my thinking and celebrate instead of having a pity party! I was able to focus on the facts this year and celebrate all that I have done, seen, tried, learned, tasted and experienced. I celebrated the fact that my business has grown. I bought a house last summer. I have a growing, loving community in Seattle. I hit my five year clear-of-cancer marker. I am partnering with Whole Foods on some cool workshops. Centered in the City is flourishing. I am the Director of Pilates at a fabulous gym. I am deepening my meditation practice. I have a loving and supportive partner, loving friends from all over and my family and I are still close despite our distance…the list could go on!

There are so many things in life to celebrate and be grateful for, and it can sometimes be hard to remember that. The way we talk to ourselves has a huge impact on how we take care of ourselves and how we show up in our lives, hindering out ability to boldly live.  Celebrating doesn’t just have to be because of a holiday. Instead, every moment is an opportunity to change your thinking and celebrate! Notice how much more energy and enthusiasm you will have in your life, relationships, career and experiences.

So what are you celebrating? Celebrate and dance with me in my monthly Wade a Minute video!

Realizing you want more support in the realm of self-care? You don’t have to do it alone! Apply to my virtual Summer of Self-Care 7-week program. Get ready to drop the toxicity in your life, feel balanced and have energy for the life you want to live!

StartsMonday June 6th-July 24th 6:30PT/ 930ET.  Click Here to learn more. 

Rainbow Salad

I love cooking with color! The idea of fueling my body with a variety of vegetables that have a variety of nutrients gets me so excited! Not only do I love hydrating my cells with vegetables, but I love the concept of keeping my body strong from the inside out. One of my favorite ways to make a salad (or any dish for that matter) is to tap into my inner artist and use color for inspiration! There are no real rules or directions with a Rainbow Salad, but all you get to do is make a rainbow by using as many colored vegetables that you have in your fridge.

In this salad, I used mixed greens, red cabbage, red peppers, a shredded golden beet  and shredded carrots. Shredding the beets and carrots helps to bring out the sweetness in the vegetables and also adds a softer texture to the salad when there is already some crunch thanks to the cabbage and red peppers.  

Garden Dressing (my measurements are not exact since I use my intuition to create). 

In a blender I combined:

• 1 garlic clove
• 1/4 tsp mustard seed (seedy mustard would also work!)
• 2 pinches of dried thyme
• 2 pinches of dried basil
• few celery seeds
• salt
• pepper

What are your favorite recipes that use a lot of color? Share below! 

Green Smoothie Time

Here is a simple recipe for those mornings you want a quick veggie fueled bfast to help jump start your day. 

In a Viatmix or quality blender add all of the ingredients until fully mixed. 

Ingredients: (Serves 2 people. Cut in half to make for 1)

• 1 ripe banana
• 2 big handfulls of spinach
• hand full of frozen mango slices (~1/2 cup)
• ~1/3 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 TBS chia seeds 
• 1 TBS hemp seeds
• 3 cups water

So smooth, creamy and delicious! Careful to not drink it too fast so your body has time to digest all of the nutrients. 

Emotional Hygiene

Post meditation cry/glow session 

This past weekend, my business sista, Kellye, and I traveled to Whidbey Island for an all day silent meditation retreat. I had no idea what to expect. I was meeting new meditation teachers and meditating in a new space with a new group of people. The excitement and curiosity of the day ended with me in tears. These tears don’t signify I had an awful experience, instead, they signify the raw emotions that were alive inside of me.  

Oh man, I have not cried like that in so long. Slowing down to sit in silence, to connect deeper to myself and to the world, unleashed pain and sadness that I didn’t realize resided so deep within me still. As mindful as I try to be and as often as I meditate, I had never experienced such a rush of emotions. One of the principals of meditation is to maintain a beginner’s mind—to be curious in the moment and not assume or judge. So, as emotionally mindful as I thought I was, I re-learned that coming back to my meditation practice always gets to open up new messages or signs. Each time I experience pain, sadness, joy or love, I get to be curious with it. Investigate and make space to explore it.

This Saturday, the sadness and heartache of missing my mom showed its face loud and clear. I know this pain will never disappear, but I realized that I don’t let myself cry for her often. I realized, when I am moved to cry for her, I quickly try to “shut up” my tears so that I can be strong and keep going and get shit done because that is the American way. But if I don’t recognize my emotions when they come up, they get stuck in my body.  They take up space and energy that could be used for more supportive resources.

It’s interesting because its something I see in my clients all of the time. They are so busy and goal-oriented that they don’t create the space in their day or week to feel what they are feeling and release it. Out of habit, they often choose to numb themselves and push the emotions deeper into their body. It can be easy to have a few glasses of wine, overindulge in food, stay occupied by social media or schedule so tightly so as to not have “time” to acknowledge emotions and properly release them. Going to yoga weekly may help; running might be a quick release, but being curious about the emotion is necessary to understand, process and eventually release it.

For both my clients and myself, I enforce the practice of emotional hygiene because I recognize it is key to de-cluttering life so there is more energy for the things we love. Some of my favorite ways to practice emotional hygiene are to journal, talk to a support system like a coach or therapist, meditate or have a creative outlet. My current personal declaration of emotional hygiene is to give my self-permission to cry without forcing myself to stop. And when I say cry, I mean big, ugly tears that might leave my eyes puffy and red.  The idea of letting myself feel sad doesn’t sound like the most fun thing in the world, but I know I will be stronger for it. Otherwise, that tightness in my chest and sorrow in my heart will always linger and hold me down.

What aspect of emotional hygiene do you want to practice? What can you give yourself permission to do? If you want more support creating an emotional hygiene practice, reach out to me here to schedule a time to connect. This is one of the most important tasks of self-care we can practice.

Movement & Mate

Fun memories from teaching Sunset Pilates in Buenos Aires. I love how the chilled laid back environment inspired us to have mate while moving our bodies. 

Bomb.com Chocolate Chip Cookies

Who has time to read a big long food blog story? No story here besides I love cookies and you must too if you are interested in this recipe! Baking is one of my favorite ways to tap into my creativity and play so I hope you can do the same. I only ask you make, eat and share these cookies with lots of love. As always I love freezing extras so I can have access to them at anytime yet they are out of plain sight. ( A little self-care tip). Enjoy and let me know how they are!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup Whole Wheat flour
• 3/4 Almond meal flour
• 1 tsp Baking soda
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup of Soft grass-fed butter
• 1/8 tsp Salt
• 3/4 cup Ghirardelli chocolate chips 
• 3/8 cup Coconut sugar
• 3/8 cup Brown sugar

Instructions

• Pre-heat oven to 375F.
• Mix the flour, baking soda & salt in a small bowl.
• Using an electric mixer, mix the sugar & butter. Then add the egg and vanilla.
• Add the dry ingredients into the wet and continue to mix until everything is evenly combined.
• Add chocolate chips.
• Shape cookies into desired size (mine where probably about 1.5 TBS big and made about 20) and place in the oven for about 8 min.
• Take cookies out when you see the edges are slightly browned.
• Enjoy! 

The Best Natural Food Products to Hit the Market This Year

Innovation would be the single word I would use to describe Natural Products Expo West, 2016. Companies invented innovative ways to consume basic American food staples in novel and unusual formats. Beans transformed into pasta, dehydrated vegetables into flavored snacks and activated charcoal into drinks and chocolate bars. Other trends I noted were fewer protein bars and more trail mix and chips. Maybe it is the crossfit and paleo craze or people are just tired of eating cardboard, but I was happy to see the protein bar fade, giving rise to jerky and trail mix. Speaking of bars, Kind bar is launching a new edition, but this time there are no nuts and it is all about fruit. They are taking the trendy green smoothie staple and packaging it in an adult fruit roll-up bar that combines spinach and a variety of fruits—both sweet and nutritious. Amidst all of the innovation, below are my top five Natural Products picks of Expo West 2016. In order to be in my top five they had to be delicious, nutritious, creative and great fuel for busy professionals on the go.

I Heart Keenwah

Quinoa. It has been the hottest grain for the past few years. By now, most people know what quinoa is even if they can’t properly pronounce the word. Personally, I have been waiting for someone to do something creative with puffed quinoa for a while, and now something finally hit the market thanks to I Heart Keenwah.  This quinoa puffed ball is probably about the size of a nickel and is featured in a savory and sweet version that makes it great for any type of snacker. Chocolate puffs and peanut butter chocolate puffs work to satisfy any sweet-tooth. They are more delicious than a malt ball and less heavy than chocolate-covered nuts—great texture and taste with every bite. Their savory flavors are super fun as well. My favorite was the herbes de provence. I am not much of a popcorn or chip gal, but these munchies are great for a snack pack, car snack or lunch addition to any salad for a little flair and extra crunch.

Ginger’s Healthy Habits Veggie Trail Mix

I love creating my own trail mixes at home. They usually just consist of seeds and nuts and maybe some dried fruit. However, Ginger’s Healthy Habits created a whole new line of trail mixes that take the concept of eating your vegetables to the next level. Think of having not only nuts and seeds in a snack bag but the additional nutrition of kale chips, zucchini, and tomatoes. All of the vegetables, nuts and seeds are seasoned with natural flavors and are dehydrated so they maintain their nutrients while sporting a more satisfying crunch. Snacking doesn’t have to feel gluttonous, but it can be fun, colorful and tasty.

Hope Hummus 

Ready to have your mind blown? If yes, then try Hope’s chocolate coconut hummus. Yes, I did say chocolate and hummus in the same sentence. Sounds gross, and believe me, I was skeptical, but once I tasted it, I enjoyed the ride. This chickpea, protein-based, cocoa- and coconut milk-infused creation is a healthier and less sugary substitute for all of those nutella or cookie spread lovers. You can even consider it a “healthier” version of raw brownie batter. You can eat it on toast, with a pretzel, celery stick or even just straight out of the container. This dip is protein-based, so you are full faster. Also, because of its deep, cocoa taste, you get to satiate your sweet tooth.   

Tolerant

Love me some pasta, especially when it doesn’t leave me feeling bloated, empty and unsatisfied. There is nothing better than having your protein already made for you, only needing to  add sauce and vegetables.  Tolerant does an amazing job creating various shapes and sizes of pasta with a variety of different legumes. I personally love the red lentil rotini, but there is also a black bean pasta and green lentil. My go-to has been to add sautéed kale, spinach and mushrooms with a pesto sauce. Bada-bing-bata-boom, I have a satisfying, delicious and completely vegetarian-friendly meal to last me for a few days. For all those that crave more protein, this product still works. All you have to do is add additional animal protein, and you will be set.

Go Raw Watermelon Seeds

Watermelons are so hot right now. Not only can you drink watermelon water, but you can eat watermelon seeds thanks to Go Raw! These organic, white, smooth, and buttery like seeds are a tasty sprouted treat that keep your belly and hands happy when you need a snack. They are loaded with protein, and because they are a sprouted treat, they still maintain their minerals and vitamins. Watermelon seeds get to be a healthier alternative to popcorn and potato chips and a new addition to pumpkin and sunflower seeds.  Cheers to eating more fruit- and plant-based products!

Discover all of the ways you can be innovative with your own supermarket-shopping list.  There are tons of new ways to pack a snack or cook up a new, easy and delicious weekday meal. Try any or all of these products and let me know what you think of their taste and how they fit into your lifestyle.

Balance with Action

Do you know that sensation you feel when you are in “grinding” mode? Where adrenalin, excitement and determination are pumping through your veins that push you to “do” more and “go” further with projects or plans?  Yet, at the same time, you feel flustered, overwhelmed and maybe a bit anxious?

That combination of “grinding” energy or what I like to refer as “gearing up” energy mixed with the desire to soothe and calm down is a perfectly natural experience.  Think of a time you were so excited about a trip you were about to take that you jumped right into planning/doing mode yet felt anxious about how much packing and organizing it entailed.  Or maybe a new job opportunity or project fell into your lap, and you are eager to get going yet nervous to take those first couple steps.  Perhaps you are excited about a first date yet fearful of the outcome. What these scenarios have in common is the “gearing up” energy throws the body and mind into action mode. Yet there is a part of you that feels anxious and, as a survival tactic, wants to ground down and find stability to hold onto. The addictive qualities of being in high-action mode can have us trapped in our analytical mind too heavily—so much that it can clog our ability to find some balance and ground down into our body, to be more intentional and present. Yet, as busy professionals, it is important to find ways to balance ourselves so that we can prevent burn out and actually have energy to do the things we love.

This is my current state in a nutshell.  I feel like a bull in a cage who is running around with strong, vivacious energy, and all I want to do is bust out of my pen to do, create and produce, yet I feel I am in this holding pattern because I want to be intentional before I give birth to my different roles and projects. As I work on my varied efforts, I feel my mind running faster than my body.  I can barely stay grounded and present because I am focused on crossing that finish line so that I can share the excitement with my clients and community. 

I have realized that letting my mind lead is great to a certain extent.  When I let my mind lead, it stays in an analytical conversation. I get so heady that it prevents me from staying present. This can lead to paralysis by analysis and eventually into burnout if I am not aware and balance myself out.  So I listened to inspiration from one of my mentors, Krista, who says: “let the body lead” and incorporated a movement tool into my daily routine as a way to help shift my energy and get out of my head and into my body.  When I live more in my body, I am more connected to my intuition, I feel calmer, less judgmental about my work and more focused on my intention.  My mind is no longer in the future, but it is right here, right now, connected to the movement of my body (if you haven’t yet, make sure to watch the video to see what the exercise is).

Practicing the grounding- and gearing-up energy allows me to find balance in my body.  My mind isn’t super quiet like it is during mediation, but the voices and mental commotion slow down enough for me to feel alive and creative and, at the same time, grounded and present.  I get to find my balance, and it’s right inside of me.  I can tap in at any moment because my body is always available for me to use.

Whether you are eagerly working on a project and veering on the edge of burnout, curious about the future yet anxious for what’s to come, or you feel like there is not enough time in your day to get it all done, take a moment to find your balance pose and gear-up/ground-down.  Gear up by filling your body with energy, with breath, with power, and ground down by exhaling, releasing, and anchoring yourself closer to the earth.

Spring is the perfect time to practice this tip because of all of the momentum and energy we have from our winter hibernating months.

Let me know how it goes by commenting below. Feel free to reach out for more support if you want to create other healthy and supportive habits and routines this spring season.

If Your 're Heartbroken, Listen To This Meditation

Check out my article on Let's Mend: https://www.letsmend.com/posts/if-you-re-heartbroken-listen-to-this-meditation

Nature Can Teach us a Lot, If We Listen.

“The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.” – Henry Miller

Gardening last weekend, I was reminded of the lessons of life. As we pulled dead brush from the ground, trimmed back over-growth, yanked weeds and pruned, the circle of life was right in front of me.

I never thought I would like gardening. Being a true Manhattanite (born and raised) with horrible allergies and a healthy dislike for bugs and snakes, I felt that gardening and I were on opposite sides of the spectrum. However, after moving into our house last July, I realize our garden and plants need us to survive. I wasn’t really prepared to be a ‘mother’ to a large garden: plum trees, fig trees, a pear tree and an apple tree, but sometimes life gives you opportunities to grow and try new things if you are open to the experience. I got into the flow of gardening back in the fall. It felt good to be outside, giving our home some loving, getting my hands dirty and feeling connected to Mother Nature and spending quality time with my partner.

It took some practice for me to bring my mindful and meditative outlook into the garden, but when I did, I felt a deeper sense of awareness and it made gardening feel like an experiment and less of a chore. The beautiful and subtle reminder of how delicate life is was right between my fingers. We pulled out dead plants that didn’t survive the winter months while at the same time witnessing new buds blossoming. Their neon fresh green leaves stretched out in search of more energy and light. It was a beautiful reminder that life blossoms, grows, evolves and dies every day. As this plant’s ‘mother,’ I worried about it. I thought: “It is February! It’s not spring yet, how can it be growing already?” I didn’t want it to die if it didn’t receive enough sunshine or if it hit freezing temps at night.

Playing in the garden made me think about humans and how we are coming out of our winter slumber in the final, dog days of winter. We are about to blossom with the spring’s energy of re-birth. Just like these buds need the right temperature, enough sunshine, nutrients and a symbiotic relationship with their fellow plants, we as humans need the same thing.  The winter months are naturally a time to slow down, restore, be home and cook soup or heavier dishes to keep us warm. In order to transition into spring, we get to embrace the fresh energy with intention. Unlike plants, humans have the cognitive and physical capacity to make our own choices, be aware and pro-actively take care of ourselves.

So as you start to bud, I want to welcome you to think about ways you can support your bud to blossom. Think about your environment? What in your home, car, or workspace needs to change so there is more fresh energy to grow? What nutrients were you not getting in the winter months that your body is now craving? What friends, family, co-workers will support your symbiotic relationship so you can continue to grow together?

Personally, I spent the last few weeks cleaning and organizing my environment and body. I wouldn’t say spring-cleaning quite yet, but more of a deep clean and set of re-balancing. We hired someone to deep clean our house, which was the best decision I have ever made. She helped make our house feel fresh, revitalized and shiny, cleaning spaces I had never even thought of! I cleaned out the clutter in my closet—the excess weight that fogs my vision when I search for something to wear. I reset the balance in my body by. making medical appointments and cutting out caffeine and sugar for a few weeks. I want my bud to feel full of pure energy and light so it can continue to grow and blossom as the weather gets warmer and the days get longer.

How to Create the Sensation of Living Abroad While Living in Your City

Alfajores

Life is an adventure!

In my opinion, living, working or studying abroad is one of the most important rights of passages you can take in life. Busting out of your comfort bubble to explore the world is invaluable.  Ask anyone who has done it. Living abroad for a prolonged period of time extends your mental map and pushes your boundaries while you experience the rhythm of a different culture, meet new people, try exotic foods, listen to enticing music and see fresh sights.  Living abroad awakens your soul because everyday is an adventure that keeps you engaged in the moment and learning something new.

Studying abroad during college and living abroad after school helped me transform into the person I am today. I decided to live in Buenos Aires, Argentina for a taste of South American life with some European flair. My comfort level was pushed when my host mother only spoke Castillan so my mind constantly ached as I tried to dream and be in Spanish. My internal clock oriented itself to the 6pm coffee dates and the 10pm dinners. I observed the different gym culture where the ideas of fitness and body images took a more superficial approach. I loved wondering the halls of super markets tasting the different versions of sweet treats, preparing vegetables in new ways and learning to drink mate. The rhythm of life and the values imbedded in the culture taught me how to be creative with what you have, value the moment, the conversation and the company you are with.

Coming back to life in America creates what I like to call, vertigo- dysphoria. Life feels unfamiliar, uneasy yet very predictable. I have worked with a number of clients who feel a sense of sadness when they come back to their life in the States after traveling. They feel they lost something special even though they came back with so many intangible souvenirs.  They fear the lessons they learned and the experiences they encountered wont mean anything as they re-enter the American grind. Personally, there is not a day that goes by where I don’t miss living in Buenos Aires. Whether it is missing my favorite cafes, friends or certain foods, my heart yearns for the Latin warmth and laid back rhythm. Despite loving my life in Seattle, I still yearn to be abroad.  Since I currently can’t move back to Buenos Aires, I learned how to create an abroad sensation while staying present and living my life Seattle.  

1.     Practice the language

Whether you have an in person language buddy or not, technology makes it super convenient to practice. You can skype with friends, watch foreign films or use so many language aps that support a practice on your own time.  My boyfriend and I try to switch our conversation into Spanish at least a couple of times a week.  We know that there are certain phrases in Castellan that describes something perfectly that can’t necessarily be translated into English. Practicing the language keeps the energy of the culture alive in us.

2.     Create a ritual

One of my most favorite aspects of Argentine culture, was experiencing the medienda or community mate time. Medienda means snack time. For me, medienda was a meaningful part of my day to pause, have coffee, share a delicious treat and enjoy another person’s company. This pause is a beautiful time for rich connection. Just because we are busy bees, does not mean we should push face-to-face connection to last priority. Make a coffee date with a friend or yourself and create quality time for connection.  If you enjoy something tasty with your coffee, allow yourself to savor it and not feel guilty (you don’t even have to finish it all).   

3.      Have an adventure

Escape burnout and boredom by creating an adventure in your day. It can be as small as eating something different for lunch, walking a different route to work or switching up your schedule completely.  Push yourself out of your comfort zone and try something new.  Push yourself out of the ordinary and create an adventure that keeps you guessing and staying awake.

4.     Cook up a recipe

Being a foodie, I crave the flavors and feel of the food in Buenos Aires. Just because I am back in America, doesn’t mean I can’t eat empanadas, steam calabaza(squash) or eat a torta for dinner (quiche).  Food is one of the best ways to tap into and celebrate your memories with the smells and tastes.  An added bonus if you play your favorite foreign music to set the mood and inspiration while in the kitchen.

5.      Don’t plan yourself

As busy go getting Americans, we are trained to plan and schedule ourselves in order to be productive and efficient with our time.  However, when we plan too much, we miss the journey.  Our mind is already onto the next appointment before we fully enjoy the current moment. Make your Sunday a day to not plan anything! I know it might feel scary and “unproductive,” but  try sleeping in, waking up when your body is ready, and living your day in the moment by letting your intuition lead.  Image how you lived when you were abroad. You would laxidazy explore the streets without a care or “have to” in the world. Take that time for yourself and reconnect to how good it feels to go with the flow.

Do you have tips you would like to share? I would love to hear them! Please feel free to comment below or send me an email. 

Routinely Checking In

Long weekends or extended vacations from your everyday routine are the perfect time to mindfully examine your habits. The time and space away from your apartment, house, job, gym, and grocery store gets you out of your flow and into a more organic and present way of being.

Gallivanting on my month of travels, I had no set plans, only ideas of what I wanted to see and do. At first, the thought of having nothing booked was scary. There was nothing tangible for my mind to wrap its hands around. However, setting myself “free” from plans kept me present in the moment and in-tune to what I actually wanted to do. I noticed that when I got back home, I felt confused. I wasn’t sure how to interact with my bedroom or kitchen. I was out of my normal routine for so long that those automatic muscles and habits weren’t firing. After a day or two of settling back in, I felt resistance within me. It was the internal conflict of my automatic habits wanting to jump back into action vs my resistance to be ever so present and in tune to what choices I actually wanted to make. This awareness hit me as I reached for my cupboard to have an afternoon snack that I actually wasn’t hungry for just because it was something I “normally” did. I paused to reflect on other choices I made since being home and recognized how my robotic footsteps retraced my after dinner-routine of grabbing my computer to finish up some work on my couch… why?... not quite sure!  

I watched myself slip back into my routines, and it shocked me to recognize how robotic I was!  Believe me, I know it’s normal to have rituals and routines. It’s actually something I help my coaching clients create  Whether it is figuring out how to fit grocery shopping into their week, scheduling their fitness classes in advance or performing an energizing mourning ritual. A lot of time these routines serve as a nurturing support. They are efficient; they keep us on track and create flow throughout our day. But as we know, there is a balance to everything we do in life. Sometimes we sink too deep into our flow and become robotic. We go too deep into our routines and lose sight of what choices are actually serving us vs what has just become a habit. And maybe the habit of going food shopping every Monday worked for you last month, but maybe this month it’s not jiving with your new flow.

This is why I am grateful to have a mindfulness practice. It helps me slow down time and pause before I act to ask myself: Is this what I want? Is this what works best for my intention at hand?

So the next time you go away for the weekend or plan your winter vacay , take time to notice what habits serve you and what habits you are ready to let go of or replace. Creating space away from your day to day is a perfect way to reflect on what choices are right for you.

If you are wanting more support, make sure you are signed up for Wade a Minute’s March newsletter. I will be sharing an exclusive tool to help you understand how your energy is affected by your routines and habits. Understanding this will help you make more supportive choices so you can grow your mindfulness practice and have energy to do what you love!

Outing Death

Traveling this past month, I had no expectations, only intentions.  My eyes were set on the adventures, experiences, tastes and sounds that were about to come.  As I felt the vibrancy of life come alive in me, I was quickly humbled and grounded by the preciousness and heartbreak of death.

Death is something American society tends to shy away from. It is a scary word. Reading it on a piece of paper or hearing it on the news makes the body cringe and the head shake ‘no’ so it doesn’t have to register the emotions.  When a loved one dies, the typical response is to quickly swallow our feelings, potentially cry in privacy and then move on with life. However, what this response does is bury emotions within the body. We store words we wish we said, the different choices we would have made. The should haves and would haves linger in our bones. I was inspired by a talk I heard Candy Chang give at a conference where she spoke about death as a tool to ground, reflect and center herself on what choices and actions she wants to take in life. The notion of life and death inspired a global art project where chalk walls popped up all over the world to visually and physical present people with a space to pause and answer the philosophical question: “Before I die I want to _____”

This past month, two of the most warmest and kindest human beings left this earth in unexpected and heartbreaking ways. Doug Walker and Adam London. Doug was pioneer in the Seattle tech world, a philanthropist, a father, husband and he had the most passion for the outdoors and adventure I have ever seen. I taught Doug individual Pilates lessons for the last 6 months and loved getting to know his passion and enthusiasm for life. His southern accent and charm was a delight. During our sessions, he would always ask me what hike or outdoor activity I did over the weekend. I never wanted to disappoint, but I sometimes felt bashful, telling him we didn’t do anything. Doug lost his life to a tragic avalanche accident while snowshoeing on New Years Eve. Doug was 64 years old with the energy of a 25 year old.  

Adam was one of the most dapper, mature, respectful, supportive, and loving 20 something year olds I have ever known. Adam and I were friendly in college but grew closer after school when we connected about our passion for travel, writing and building businesses and communities. A smile always struck my face when I saw Adam ‘like’ one of my social media posts because he was such a natural cheerleader and supporter to all.  I knew the genuine love he expressed in this small act.  Adam lost his life at the age of 27 years old one morning while on a business trip.  He simply never woke up. 

To know the ages of both of these men are important because it demonstrates life and death can come and go at any time and any place. These deaths are heart-wrenching yet beautiful and real reminders of how precious life is. You can be breathing and vibrant one moment yet lose it all in the blink of an eye.

So let’s talk about death. Let’s ‘out’ death.  Let’s not hide and bury our emotions. Let’s feel them, experience them and share them together. Let these experiences of death and mourning wake us up to live a little deeper and truer. Ask yourself: “Before I die I want to _____.” How do you want to live in this very moment? What is your truth you want to express? How do you want to feel? What passions do you want to ignite? Life is too short and precious to say, “tomorrow I will…” or “one day I will….” The time to learn and live your true self is now. This awakening isn’t necessarily meant to spark impulsive behavior of “Fuck it, I am quitting my job and moving to Bali.” But instead, it’s meant to spark more mindful behaviors—to wake up and realize it’s a gift to be living and breathing. With each breath, I soak in and absorb the experience and ask myself is this the choice I want to make … versus: is this a choice I should be making. When we can truly practice being present and living this one moment, we get to be fully living.

About 10 years ago, I have a memory of my mom and sister poking fun of me and playfully asking: “Why do you say ‘I love you’ after signing off from every phone call? Even if it is a quick call to say ‘Hey, I am downstairs’?” I remember responding: “Because you never know when the last time you might speak to someone will be.” Every moment is a chance to truly express yourself. I lost my mother over 5 years ago and the pain still burns every day. Death itself is not what is horrible, but it is the essence of forever, which is the most painful and scary reality for me to face. Saying goodbye to the pulse of my mom’s heartbeat, the smell of her skin, the rhythm of her raspy voice, and the touch of her sweet soft kisses is what’s hardest to let go. To know I will never get to physically be near her again burns. Yet, remembering and honoring this palpable pain and heartache is the fuel that keeps me living and breathing. It pushes me to only live truer, more authentic, more present, more loving, more fully so I can honor those that no longer physically live.

If you have lost a loved one, I want to welcome you to feel your pain. Take conscious time to explore your emotions. Journal it out, talk to a friend, create some art, share your experiences and ‘out’ death. Make death not such a scary thing but a beautiful way you get to live your life more fully and honor those who can no longer breathe for themselves. 

A Spiritual Pause

As I mentioned in last month’s Wade a Minute, my intention this year is to “spread my wings and fly.” I jumped full throttle into my intention by literally flying across the world in various directions. I spent the first two weeks traveling around Israel—visiting Jerusalem, Tsfat, Golan Heights, Masada, and the Dead Sea. I am finishing my month of traveling by jumping continents to visit my favorite city: Buenos Aires. Even though I literally flew to these places, I am also flying because I am practicing tapping into my higher and deeper being: my spirituality.

Traveling to Israel was an opportunity to connect to my religion and my culture. Even though I do not consider myself to be a religious person, I am spiritual. The cool thing about spirituality, in my mind, is you get to create your own definition. For me, spirituality is about connecting to a higher being in myself, in others, in food, movement and in nature.  It’s feeling a higher vibration and deeper understanding of whatever I am experiencing, as both a part of me and greater than me. Immersed in Israeli culture, I reconnected to the importance of rituals, the sanctuary of the home and my deep values of family, friends, community and, of course, food.

Traveling to Argentina is like traveling home. There is no place in the world (that I have visited yet) that makes my heart smile so wide. The culture, the people, the creativity, the love, the passion, the nature, the food is all so amazing. Being here ignites a deeper sense of peace, curiosity and energy within myself. As I write this, I realize there isn’t one word to describe the sensation. Have you ever traveled to a place that opens it’s arms, hugged you so tight and made you feel like you were home? Being in Buenos Aires tickles my sweet spot… literally and figuratively. Even though I can’t speak Castellano perfectly, I feel connected to the onda (energy) here.  I am able to listen more deeply and soak in the vibrations that surround me.

Reflecting on my travels, I recognize that both Israeli culture and Argentine culture share what I consider to be a spiritual practice by creating a pause in their week to slow down, take time to enjoy life, their family, their friends and, of course, food. For Israeli’s most observe Shabbat (whither religious or not) and take Saturday to be their time to play outside, spend time away from electronics and connect to loved ones. For Argentines, they have many moments of pause during their day and week. For instance some Argentines might pause for a communal mate session while at the office, merindar with a friend after work (snack time) or enjoy Sunday with their family. For me, these moments of pause are opportunities to tap into my spirituality. To breathe deeper, fuller and open to the moment that arises. Instead of constantly running errands, rushing to meetings, glued to technology or stuck inside, the moments of pause offers a space to reflect, connect and direct my energy and the choices I want to make. Pausing gives me energy to reboot, feel more alive and live in accordance to my values and how I want to show up in the greater world around me.

So this month, I want to offer you the chance to pause, slow down and connect to what spirituality means to you. How do you want to define it? How do you want to practice it? Take the next 20 minutes or so and journal out your thoughts. Explore what comes alive and true for you. There is no wrong, only right. Let go of the thoughts “I am not being productive if I sit here and journal.”  Resist the urge to get distracted by your phone and just take a big juicy breath in… soak in the moment… exhale it out and then tap into what’s true for you. Incorporate the knowledge and awareness you gained into your life by taking action. Carve out space in your weekly or daily calendar to tap into your higher being.

For me, I am taking my lessons and experience of pause and integrating them into my American lifestyle—continuing my morning meditation practice, lighting candles on Friday to slow down from the week and welcome in the weekend, and organizing weekly time to connect to loved ones over a delicious meal. 

If you are curious to explore how to create more mindful pauses in your day to connect and practice self-care in it’s various forms, email me to schedule a complimentary session. I would love to help support you live your healthiest and happiest self.

If you are in the Seattle metro area, check out Centered in the City for our upcoming weekly meditation sits and other events to help you mindfully connect. For all others, feel free to reach out: Wade@WadeBrill.com

New Year Empowerment

Words are powerful. But what's even more powerful is when you connect words to action. As you enter into 2016, I want to welcome you to think about one or a few words you can use as empowering anchors and indicators to help you take intentional action in 2016.

Grounding myself with a word or short phrase is one of the most powerful tools I practiced last year. Instead of feeling overwhelmed with all that I could do in 2016, all that I wanted to plan, experience, create, I was able to narrow down my intention into a simple word that helped me dictate my choices. My word in 2015 was connect. Connect meant I was going to spend time connecting to myself, to my community, my clients, to Seattle and to my relationships. I used my empowering word to take action. Selecting an empowering word or words is a great way to practice self-care and prioritize what your desires and wants are--helping you stay breathing and in balance. 

My words/phrase for 2016 is spread my wings and fly. This is a saying my mom used to tell me when I was younger. Wade, "I can't wait to see you spread your wings and fly." I loved how she had the vision for me when I was younger. It wasn't until a month ago that I realized I wanted this phrase to carry me into the new year. To me, spread my wings and fly means to set myself free from everything that holds me back. Whether it's thoughts of 'what if', fears or doubts, I am committing to spreading my wings and flying above it. As much as this phrase means to set myself free, it also represents serving and supporting others. I see my wings as a place of comfort, support, nourishment, love and encouragement. Sort of like Falkor, the flying dog-dragon from the The NeverEnding Story (except a human, less-hairy and cuter :)). As I spread my wings and fly, I am supporting others to take off and fly as well. 

So, what's your word or words of 2016? How do you want to take empowering action this year? How do you want to stay grounded in what matters most to you? Let your empowering word help you grow, find peace, practice self-care, feel energized and fulfilled with life. Take your word or phrase and spend time journaling about it. What does it look like, smell like, taste like, sound like, and feel like? If that word was a meal, what type of meal would it be? If that word was a dance, how would it move? Get creative and explore all the various layers and possibilities that are imbedded in it. Find the power of your word and let it empower you to live more fully in 2016.

Share your word/words below! 

p.s if you are in the Seattle Area, come join Centered in the City for EmpowerHour on January 6th. Our topic is about intention setting. 

Holiday Lessons

Let‘s get real here. The holidays are a mixed bag full of sparkles and dust. To have time off of work, to travel, eat lots of yummy food, spend time with loved ones, sleep in and to receive and give presents can all be magical sparkles. However, there is always a ying to the yang to help balance us out. The dust can settle to the ground with food and wine hangovers; family time can get tense, anxiety of making plans and trying to fit in everyone and do too much can swarm the mind and body. However, this isn’t just the holiday season. In fact, this is an extension of, the “good” and the “bad” we encounter on a daily basis.  No matter what dust or sparkles are flying around your holiday season, you get to embrace the moment and soak it in, and I encourage you to be mindful about what you are experiencing and how you are reacting. Let this holiday break give you some feedback of how to take care of yourself. 

This holiday season, I had the lovely honor of having my sister visit me in Seattle.  The day after Christmas, we decided to go snowshoeing on our way down to Portland. Sounds simple and amazing, right? However, logistically the trip was kind of a nightmare. We had to race around to rent snowshoes, buy chains for the car tires, learn how to put the chains on the car tires, drive further to get to the mountain, got lost, and finally made it to the mountain later than planned. While we snowshoed, it was hard not soak in the winter wonderland beauty, however, I caught my mind racing to our next logistical steps: driving down the mountain safely, returning the snowshoes before the store closed, and finally, driving to Portland to meet our friends for our dinner reservation.

Instead of allowing myself to get caught up in the tornado of my thoughts I simple acknowledged my thought pattern and took charge by repeating to myself, be here now. Be here now. Be here now. Saying this phrase simple anchored me back into the beautiful moment. To think I could let my mind take over and distract me from enjoying the experience of my sister, partner and I snowshoeing is so silly! Not every moment in our life might be as pretty as our winter wonderland, however, every point gets to be special and teach us something if we slow down to listen. This experience re-taught me how attached to being on a schedule I am. Instead of feeling like a victim to our logistical nightmare, I practiced what I teach. I realized that we got to do all of those steps.  They weren’t a “have to.” We got to drive an extra two hours, we got to get lost and in the end we got to spend more time together.   

So no matter what you are experiencing during your holidays, sparkles or dust, enjoy it. Be there now. Soak it up. Let it teach you something. Whether your travel plans got messed up because of the weather, you got the most thoughtful present from your friend or you had an uncomfortable interaction with a relative, soak it in. Be there now and try to learn and grow from the experience.  Life is precious, so be there now to enjoy and learn from it. 

Let this be here now practice support you as you think and plan for 2016. Instead of letting your mind anxiously jump to the future and all that you want to accomplish, try creating intentional space for yourself to plan, think and dream about 2016. Enjoy the moments that are left in 2015 because, baby, you wont be getting those back.  Be here now.

Morning Meditation Stretches

Before I sink into my morning meditation practice, I spend 5 minutes stretching on my pillow so I can feel more relaxed and less fidgety.  I have all of this built up energy and tightness from the mangled sleeping positions I put myself in that I need a way to release that energy before I can fully start my day. Stretching is a great transition from my sleeping state into my present sitting state.  This morning practice helps me feel more in touch with my body and allows me to go deeper into my meditation practice. One of my morning routines that help keep me grounded.