Bright Blue Moments: Stories of Sensing Soul

This is a lively and sometimes controversial conversation with the amazing Amy Bliefnick. In this episode I talk about my life as a labeler, self-labeler to be exact. From a young age I began to unquestionably accept labels put on me by others, and allow them to shape my behaviors to fit them. Then I started doing it myself. I talk about how I not only accepted my labels but happily went about adding to them. Defining myself under the guise of self-awareness, into a static snapshot of a person. Some of the labels I've carried are: Bookworm, cerebral, cold, introvert, INTJ, PA, TA, cynic, empath, INFP, the list goes on. I also talk openly about my neurological disorders, stemming from a traumatic brain injury, that I allowed to define my identity for a period of my life. At some point, I reached my labeling limit, or maybe came to my senses, aided by a timely podcast by Jess Lively, where she discusses her theory of Tran-sensitivity, and moving beyond labels. I began questioning whether all these labels were limiting who I was. And more importantly, whether it was limiting who I could become? Labels are based upon the past, and at the end of the day, if you can lose your self-definition, aren't you free to become whoever you want to be, in any moment of time? Show notes: The Lively Show

In this episode, Amy and I have a fun discussion about my journey from someone who had no appreciation for meditation, to someone who now gets up early before the sun is up, to begin my day in deep stillness. I start out the show describing my lack of appreciation for all things meditation, and all things stillness, and even all things sitting still. A true skeptic. I talk about a number of different things that moved me toward the meditation path, and all the starts and stops along the way. It's probably the slowest integration of a solid meditation practice that you'll ever hear about, literally years in the making. (No, you are not the only one!) Eventually I realized the time I put into quieting my mind was worth more than the time it took to do it. So much more . . . My advice on Stillness practice: Develop your own practice Don't try to do it right Do what feels good to you Just as this is your life to create, this is your practice to create Towards the end, Amy and I get into an interesting discussion about animal communication and heart coherence. Magical! I'll share how Reykjavik guided me, even during the last part of his journey, to understand the beauty of stillness and how much a quiet mind could actually hear. He communicated with me patiently, until I finally understood that meditation is really listening to your soul. Show notes:Martha Beck Steering by StarlightOprah and Deepak Chopra 21 day meditation series Xenia Splewinsky Yoga Nidra on Audible

This is a very special episode. It's the very personal recounting of the intentional transitioning of my beloved Great Dane Alexander Reykjavik, and how it turned into a more heartfelt and celebratory transition than I could have imagined. To be very clear, this is a story of the end of my dogs life here on earth. But it's not a sad story. It's a story about my growing awareness that you can let go of how things are "supposed" to be, and live them as you feel them in your heart. In this episodeI talk about how the day of Reykjavik's transition came to be called Freedom Day, and how I ended up looking at this day in a completely different way than I would have imagined years before. How I finally made the decision to schedule an intentional transition, after declaring that I would never make that call for him. I talk about the ups and downs, and second guessing of this decision and how I came to terms with the self-doubt I felt at one point. I relate my heartfelt communications with Reykjavik during the weeks leading up to Freedom Day, and the enormous gift he gave me one night. I always joked that he was my heart, and that I wore it recklessly, outside my boy. That night he gave it back to me. It's like he was saying, it's your turn now, to carry it and keep it open. Finally, I talk about our small spontaneous slumber party the night before and the beautiful way everything flowed on Freedom Day. Not as planned, but as how they were supposed to be. Full of love, and peace.

I am now a Certified Inner Voice Facilitator! Connecting With the Inner Voice is really what I do and how I live. I'm doing a 3 part series on the Inner Guidance System and how to access it. This is part 2 of the 3 part series, and it is specifically about how I use my inner voice to direct everyday aspects of my life. This episode is about how I have gradually adopted a style of intuitive living through greater attention to what my inner voice is saying, instead of following the mind and external cues. I got started with intuitive eating in a dramatic way, but you can do it more gently. I talk about how to develop your awareness of what your body really wants, by staying connected throughout the whole eating process. I talk about using my inner guidance system to choose my clothing every day, and what a surprising boost it can be to your comfort and ease, and even confidence, because you and your personal presentation are aligned. Plus, it's so fun! The next area I talk about is using your inner voice to guide you through your work day. There are ways to give yourself choices, even if your workload for the day is set. I also use my morning meditative time to be open for downloads from my inner voice regarding work projects and I give examples about how my Internal Guidance System sometimes offers very specific visual advice. Often, my inner voice even acts as my social media manager. My newest way to use my inner voice guidance is in regard to socializing and I talk about how it has worked for me. Increasing my awareness of what feels good vs. what fits with how I have defined myself allows me to choose outings and interactions that feel good. This is really all about turning off the auto-pilot and tuning in to what is truest for you. This becomes so much easier once you have a fluid connection to your inner voice. I invite you to find an area of your life where you can play with this idea of asking your inner voice for guidance in small everyday ways. All it takes is some awareness in the moment and a little trust.

I am now a Certified Inner Voice Facilitator! Connecting With the Inner Voice is really what I do and how I live. I'm doing a 3 part series on the Inner Guidance System and how to access it. This is part 1 of the 3 part series. I start off by describing the Inner Guidance System that we all carry within us. Then how I learned about Hot Tracks from Martha Beck (in books called Steering By Starlight) and Writing To Your Intuition from Jess Lively's Podcast. I present some thoughts about why we have the mental chatterbox in the first place, and if it's useful or not. I share 9 reasons why you would want to listen to your intuition, and some ways to help set the stage for an inner voice connection, including: Why meditation may help you to hear your inner voice. What a mind diet is and how it can facilitate connection How it might help to limit external stimuli I discuss what was one of my biggest questions early on, and also probably the most frequent question I get, which is how to distinguish your inner voice from the mental chatterbox that lives in your head. Then Amy and I have a great time talking about how to apply this to a topic such as exercise. Stay tuned for Part 2 of the Inner Voice Series: Living an Intuitive Life!