The
Consciousness Collaborative Update
|
Register for Upcoming Classes & Events
|
Free Teleclass
Oct. 12th 
"The Power of Speaking Your Truth" Join the founder/director of The Consciousness Collaborative, Joanne Lutz, on Wednesday, October 12th, for "The Power of Speaking Your Truth." This inspirational class will provide an opportunity for you to notice the ways you swallow your own voice and re-frame how you might approach future interactions from a place of power. Joanne's Third Option Coaching approach steers away from the either /or practice of life, and seeks an "out of the box" alternative that inspires and empowers. Once you realize that every situation offers a Third Option, your creativity is called upon again and again, allowing your analytical mind to be truly supported by your own creative process. For this one hour teleclass, Joanne will share her Third Option approach as it relates to speaking truthfully about the things that matter to you, even when it feels a little scary. Before attending this event, spend a little time thinking about who you find it hardest to "tell the whole truth to." And, as you're considering this, start by being completely honest with yourself. If you could say ANYTHING to this other person, what would you want to say? The class will have both lecture and interactive components, so come prepared and you may receive some live personal coaching on the call! Also, mark your calendar for November 9th, when our teleclass leader will be Adrian Wilkins. Free Public Event! Oct. 12th Teleclass Instructor: Joanne Lutz 7-8pm (eastern time) Register On-Line (for your personal dial-in number and access code) |
Change Your Perspective
Emotional
Re-Education Weekend Retreat
How do you see yourself and others? You, like many of us, may be stuck in a time warp of beliefs. And from that "history channel," your perception of yourself and others gets distorted.
Looking through the lens of old hurts, decisions and beliefs lacks the core clarity that resides within each of us. Traumas - whether as the result of loss, intrusion, betrayal, dismissal, absence, illness or accident - often stay frozen in our bodies. These body memories affect how we see our self and others. They keep us from being fully connected and from being in the present moment.
Led by April Prita Manganiello and supported by several Collaborative members, the Emotional Re-Education Weekend Retreat provides a safe and healing place to challenge limited self beliefs and to cut through inhibiting stuck places. Within the safety of this container, you will have the opportunity to unwind and melt traumas you have experienced. It is a place to try on new attitudes, support your ability to give and receive love, and to be more fully connected to yourself and others.
Emotional Re-Education Weekend Retreat
November 11th-13th
Essex Conference Center
Complete the
ON-LINE APPLICATION
to Participate
This workshop, under the direction of April Prita Manganiello, is led by a team of co-facilitators and assistants, several of whom are members of The Consciousness Collaborative. The ratio of support to participants is about 3:1 - a highly atypical and nourishing setting for profound group work.
|
Recipe
of the
Month
 Roasted Root Vegetables
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 25-35 mins
Yields: 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 sweet potato
- 2 parsnips
- 2 carrots
- 2 turnips or 1 large rutabaga
- 1 daikon radish (or substitute/add in your favorites, like squash)
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- herbs: rosemary, thyme or sage (fresh if possible)
Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Wash and chop all vegetables into large bite-sized pieces.
3. Place in a large baking dish with sides.
4. Drizzle with olive oil; mix well to coat each vegetable lightly with oil.
5. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and herbs.
6. Bake uncovered for 25-35 minutes until vegetables are tender and golden brown, checking every 10 minutes to stir and make sure veggies are not sticking.
Note: Any combination of vegetables will work. Roasting only one kind of veggie also makes a nice side dish.
-Contributed by
Nathalie Blitz
of Vitamin N
|
|
|
Jamie Thurber recently shared a bumper sticker quote, "Don't believe everything you think." I love that! From my teens to late twenties I claimed I would "never get married, never have kids!" And then I married a man with two children. Life proves that bumper sticker's truth again and again.
A week after learning that quote, Beth Sutton told me a story about her one year old granddaughter and their mall adventure. The tale, rich with detail, brought me into the mall with them; through Beth's eyes, I witnessed the fun of crawling under the clothes racks and the hilarity of waving and talking to mannequins, waiting for them to answer or wave back. Her voice lilted with glee as she recalled the experience.
I love my step-children, but I shied away from "lilting with glee." In particular, my step-son, Joe, and I had many tumultuous years. In recent times, though, it's genuinely improved. Years of personal growth work have allowed me to accept parts of myself that I witnessed in him and outright rejected. He provided a mirror of my own anger, vulnerability, and helplessness; and because I hadn't yet found compassion for those feelings in myself, I didn't have it to share with him. I wish for both of us that I had been more present...more able to enjoy him, much sooner.
A few weeks ago, I experienced one of my most tender moments ever with Joe. He became a new father on September 7th. A few hours after the birth, I walked into the hospital room to meet the newest family member. I could tell that the three other grandparents desperately wanted to scoop up the baby and extend a warm welcome. Out of respect for the parents' desire to "let him sleep a bit" the three elders gathered around the hospital's Lucite bassinette to ooh and coo at his every movement.
I found myself completely delighted with everyone's response to this new life. The love that filled the room was palpable, and joy gurgled out of me, a contagion that left us all giggling a bit at our own wonderment. That night, as each blood-related grandparent took it in turn to hold Joe Jr., I stood back, witnessed the love and hoped that no one passed me the baby. Remember...I don't do kids (or babies).
Watching Joe with his son, though, warmed the cockles of my heart. The Dad within loved this boy before he ever took a breath, and this adoration and acceptance is evident with his every relational movement to his son.
Just as I was about to leave on the second night of visiting, Joe, cradling Joe Jr., looked at me and said, "Did you want to hold him? You haven't held him yet." Ut oh. "Uhm, I'm a little scared," I admitted. And Joe kindly said, "It's okay, I'll be right with you." So, I sopped up the puddle on the floor that was my melted heart, washed my hands, and got situated on the window seat, so that Joe could place his son in my arms.
Like a time warp, my body was thrown back to when I was seven years old and my youngest first cousin was born. I couldn't wait to hold the new life in my arms at seven, but I had to make sure my own body was stable on the sofa first. It felt just the same, as I prepared for little Joe.
Once in my arms, I whispered to the little guy, "I'm new at this"...and then, he cried...I'm pretty sure it's just what babies do. But as I attempted to soothe him, my step-son sat beside me, and gently offered encouragement. I can't possibly express how sweet I found this.
I know there's something off about Joe being the adult in these moments and me the novice/child. Yet, I am so touched; I can't seem to get in a dither about it. Instead, I feel filled with gratitude for Joe being my step-son, willing to share his own son with me.
As I said, life proves to me again and again that "You can't believe everything you think." If you've had an experience proving this truth, jot me a note. I'd love to hear about it.
With love and baffled beliefs,
|
Last Chance to... 
Find Your Balance with an
Equilibrium Retreat
Nov. 11th-13th
Imagine feeling connected with your physical, emotional and mindful health and vitality. What would that be like? If you're curious to find out, join Lisa Andrews this November as she facilitates an Equilibrium Retreat at the beautiful PGA National Resort and Spa in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Through vigorous physical practice - designed to bring you into balance, increased breath awareness, clarified goals, and a genuine connection with self, participants experience increased energy and leave with training ideas and tools to use in daily life at home. Lisa's unique program reveals, for each person, the obstacles blocking the path to fully living life and maximizing the athlete within. This retreat program offers an opportunity to feel all aspects of yourself in alignment, so that you may bring that knowing to your daily life.
As a guide to your inner athlete, Lisa's focused attention to detail sets her apart in the personal training world. And most importantly, she practices what she preaches about life balance. During this retreat, she will provide both support and a model for how to incorporate into each day of work, time for play, meditation, and inward reflection.
Wondering what might be involved in a typical retreat day? Take a peek at a "sample day" or contact Lisa directly for answers to all of your Equilibrium Retreat related questions. This event is limited to 15 participants. Sign up today to reserve your space!
Equilibrium Retreats with Lisa Andrews November 11th - 13th PGA National Resort and Spa West Palm Beach, FL Register On-Line |
|
Time Management
The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.
-Mark Twain
Have you ever wished for a few more hours in the day? Why is it that some people seem to get everything done effortlessly and others feel that time constantly eludes them? The secret to managing your time well isn't working more hours. The secret is working smarter, not harder. It is about prioritizing the important things and learning to use the time you have more efficiently and effectively.
Some of us, by nature, organize and get tasks out of the way before we relax, while others of us play first and work later. It is important to first recognize which type you are and whether your style is allowing you to have the life you really want. Maybe you are super-organized at work, but burned out because you don't know how to make time for yourself. Maybe you are naturally a less organized person who knows how to relax, but you are dissatisfied because you aren't fulfilling your goals and dreams.
Rather than labeling yourself or beating yourself up, realize that time management is an area of your life that you can strengthen. Like a new muscle, it takes practice and repetition to make it stronger. To help you get started, here are some steps to streamline your days at work and at home. Try the first one or two that jump out at you:
- Allocate time for planning and organizing.
- Create to-do lists that are realistic, not intimidating. Use only one to-do list.
- Under-schedule your time: leave time for the unexpected and for interruptions. When you estimate how long something will take, add on 1/3 of that time.
- Schedule your time in a way that reduces interruptions that lower your productivity.
- Practice the art of intelligent neglect: eliminate trivial tasks.
- Prioritize what is most important and do that first.
- Consider your biological prime time: at what time of day do you work best? Plan to do your most important work at that time. If you say yes to everything that comes your way, learn to say NO.
- Ask for help and delegate.
- In the evening make your to-do list for the next day, so it will be out of your brain and on a piece of paper. Leave work with a clear head and a clean desk.
- Acknowledge yourself daily for all that you have accomplished.
Also take a look at the two biggest hindrances to using time effectively: procrastinating and lacking purpose. We usually procrastinate when a task seems too daunting, too large, too complex, or when we feel we won't be able to handle it. When you get that "deer in the headlights" feeling, try "chunking": break the large task into smaller, manageable action steps, and start with the first one. We also often drag our heels or use our time inefficiently because we are bored, unengaged, and uninspired. The most effective people will tell you that they love what they do and are aligned with a greater purpose. When it comes to managing your time, you may need to ask the larger questions, "Am I doing what I love to do? Am I doing something meaningful to me?"
As you strengthen your new time management muscle, keep your focus on getting organized so that you can live the life you came here for. Instead of being a chore, good time management can be your ticket to more fun, greater satisfaction, and a vibrant, exciting life.
-Contributed by Nathalie Blitz of Vitamin N |
Awakenings 
There's a movie, Awakenings, starring Robin Williams and Robert Dinero, about a doctor whose patients have been in a semi-catatonic state for decades. Through a process of giving his patients a certain drug, they come fully "awakened." The Robert Dinero patient is the first to surface, and he begins to build a life with a woman and friends in this world that he's experiencing anew. Yet, soon the drug wears off, and as he has no control over what is happening to him, his frustration grows as he begins to notice the tics and spasms. He once again disappears into his darker world.
I've always thought of this movie fearfully when becoming more aware in my own process of awakening. It wasn't until recently that I realized why. When I was a young boy growing up in Connecticut, I felt both love for my mom and fear of her. In the family, I bonded most closely with her and followed her everywhere. In one moment I would be in her arms, playing with her glasses and giggling, and in the next, angrily held away. If her love was the sun, it came in the brightest, brightest rays, and just as quickly, coldness from being snuffed out. Much like the Awakenings movie, that's what I knew of love - it would come and then go just as quickly, and it couldn't be trusted, so take what you can while it's there.
This experience affected most of my relationships growing up - I trusted the not-having more than the having, and the longing for the having became much more familiar to me than any other feeling. I didn't have girlfriends, but I longed for them, and when they liked me, I pushed them away: being with someone, really, takes full vulnerability, and vulnerability only led to extreme pain.
Many years of doing the work - therapy, mindfulness, meditation, others - has led me to "Oooh-OK, I get it," and great compassion for my own journey. The little boy who wondered when Mommy would come back and the man who longed for love and connection in relationships are one and the same. And what I realize today is that the real mom was the loving one, the one who would drink a cup of tea with milk with me and shine. It helped reveal a deep knowing of the love that's always been within me.
When I reflect on meditation and our circle, I know this is the love that comes forth as I speak. And what I thought needed to come to me from another is already here, as it is for each of us. When I let be the stuff of the day and let go into my own meditation practice, I am floating right in this love, and I know it's what we all share. I am home. I am here. When our circle is most connected, we, too, as a group, touch this place. It's beautiful for me to witness and experience. And that, in the end, is the purpose of meditation - to know, more and more, our true self, to make it easier to come back to and stay.
If you'd like to join us, we'd love to have you. We tend to practice, as Osho states, "being in our fullness - the fullness of our own awakening." -Contributed by Jamie Thurber |
 Food Focus:
Root Vegetables
The roots of any plant are its anchor and foundation; they are the essential parts that support and nourish the plant. Root vegetables lend these properties to us when we eat them, making us feel physically and mentally grounded and rooted, increasing our stability, stamina, and endurance. Roots are a rich source of nutritious complex carbohydrates, providing a steady source of necessary sugars to the body. Instead of upsetting blood sugar levels like refined sweet foods, they regulate them. Since they absorb, assimilate and supply plants with vital nutrients, roots likewise increase absorption and assimilation in our digestive tracts.
Long roots include carrots, parsnips, burdock and daikon radish. Round roots include turnips, radishes, beets and rutabagas. Long roots like burdock and daikon are excellent blood purifiers and can help improve circulation in the body and increase mental clarity. Round roots are nourishing to the stomach, spleen, pancreas and reproductive organs and can help regulate blood sugar, moods, and alleviate cravings.
-Contributed by Nathalie Blitz of Vitamin N
|
 Meditation
of the Month
Essence Object
This mindfulness exercise uses a tangible object as a reminder to bring your attention back to yourself...to notice what is happening within you in a given moment. An "essence object" is like a talisman or amulet, but you pour the "magic or luck" into the object with your own clear energy.
Begin by getting in touch with a Just Right Moment, when everything has just lined up, and you knew you were exactly where you were meant to be. Feel the energy of that moment in your body. Truly, be with the energy of how you feel when everything is in alignment. Who you truly be, is revealed in a Just Right Moment; and that energy is your essence energy.
Now, allow yourself to open to the possibility of your essence energy being projected into an object. I suggest something totable...for example, if you believe your essence matches that of a cruise ship, where lots of energies co-mingle joyfully while moving across the ocean waters, you may want to settle for a printed image of a cruise ship or a small model... not a full size version! Conversely, you may choose something quite tiny, if it suits you, a stone or piece of jewelry for example.
Whatever the object, hold it in your hands for a few moments and feel yourself in your Just Right Moment, while you are holding it. Share your essence energy with the object and feel it coming alive with your essence.
Then, for the next month, either carry the object in your pocket...or post the image on your car visor...or tuck the object under the covers of your bed. Essentially, allow the object to "surprise" you every now and then, and when it does, pause and come back to who you truly be. Spend a few moments, noticing how you feel in the present moment and glide to feeling your best self - sharing the energy of your object.
As you practice, you may notice that you are present in your own essence with greater ease and for longer periods of time. In fact, you may notice a whole new selection of "Just Right Moment's" can be added to your personal library. Enjoy who you be!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
