Happy Thursday beautiful hearts...today I sit at my computer in total awe of the magic and peace of this day.  I notice my physical heart overflowing with gratitude, it feels like the banks of a crested river.  So full of thankfulness, passion, and joy.  As I ponder this moment and then the next, I am reminded that the present moment holds the most momentum for peace, abundance, and health.  May you be inspired to connect with the present moment.  Here is a little love letter to this present moment at the shores of my heart.  

Dearest Present Moment...
Today is a most auspicious day, it is unlike any other.  My whole body feels alive to the grand flow of life.  Today is magical unto itself.  Today is ripe with opportunity.  I feel the songs of praise echoing throughout my spirit.  My body gently sways with grace for such magnificence is alive and well within my soul.  Today is the now I have been searching for.  As I grow into the recess of possibilities, may my mind flourish with new visions, and my heart expand into new territories.  May I seek to be fully present in the field of NOW.  Endless streams of sunshine and green grass to gently cushion my steps.  No longing for what was, no grasping for what is yet to come.  Flexibility for the ebb and flow of all moments that have brought me to this moment.  I touch my heart in this moment and breathe in the Divine.  Claiming the Divine that is animated in all creatures...big and small.  We are not separate from any form.  As I anchor myself to the magnificence of flow...I begin flowing in abundance, in health, and harmony.  I cease crying out for what has not yet arrived.  Rather I bask in the mystery of the unfolding story.  I turn the pages with anticipation.  Dazzled by the plot that unfolds.  Allowing life to take my breath away.  Blessed in creativity and service, sharing my precious energy with the world.  Embracing a wealthful attitude.  Bowing to the abundance that lives inside.  Loving the tender fragments of my whole heart.  The golden threads of Divine tapestry that have been woven together to create this masterpiece.  Each thread securing a connection.  Breathing into a space of connection.  Bowing in honor.   Living in love.  Flushing resentments and jealously out of my energetic field with vigorous bursts of gratitude.  Listen beautiful dearest heart....can you hear the Universe showering you with love?  Feed your soul, honor your body, wake with intention and live with purpose.  Live moment by moment, and travel lightly.  Thank you present moment for the happiness of my soul.  

In Gratitude and Love, 
​Sarah 

Happy Wednesday beautiful hearts!  I am totally loving the words of Ellen Bass in her poetry entitled, "The Thing Is."  This poem is a testament to all of the times that we have sworn off the outlines of life. The clear focus fades and we are left with shadows of heaviness and angst.  We profess that love is no longer welcome, that grief will consume our very essence, and that we can't endure a moment more...and then the magic of life begins again in the palms of our hands.  We hold this infinite friend and again fall in love.  

May you be inspired today to again hold your life in the palm of your hands.  To softly and sweetly embrace the ever changing tides of life...all the while affirming, "I will love you again."

May You Sweetly Seek:)
In Gratitude, 
​Sarah 

The Thing Is....
"to love life, to love it even
when you have no stomach for it
and everything you've held dear
crumbles like burnt paper in your hands,
your throat filled with the silt of it.
When grief sits with you, its tropical heat
thickening the air, heavy as water
more fit for gills than lungs;
when grief weights you like your own flesh
only more of it, an obesity of grief,
you think, How can a body withstand this?
Then you hold life like a face
between your palms, a plain face,
no charming smile, no violet eyes,
and you say, yes, I will take you
I will love you, again."

Why It Doesn’t Pay to Be a People-Pleaser 
Christine Carter always tried to meet other people’s expectations—until she realized how out of sync with her own wants and needs she’d become.

By: Christine Carter as published in Mindful.org
​
"People ask me all the time what the secret to happiness is. “If you had to pick just one thing,” they wonder, “what would be the most important thing for leading a happy life?”

Ten years ago, I would have told you a regular gratitude practice was the most important thing—and while that is still my favorite instant happiness booster, my answer has changed. I believe the most important thing for happiness is living truthfully. Here’s the specific advice I recently gave my kids:
'Live with total integrity. Be transparent, honest, and authentic. Do not ever waiver from this; white lies and false smiles quickly snowball into a life lived out of alignment. It is better to be yourself and risk having people not like you than to suffer the stress and tension that comes from pretending to be someone you’re not, or professing to like something that you don’t. I promise you: Pretending will rob you of joy.'

I’ve spent the better part of my life as a people-pleaser, trying to meet other people’s expectations, trying to keep everyone happy and liking me. But when we are trying to please others, we are usually out of sync with our own wants and needs. It’s not that it’s bad to be thinking of others. It’s that pleasing others is not the same as helping others. It’s not that it’s bad to be thinking of others. It’s that pleasing others is not the same as helping others.

People pleasing, in my extensive personal experience, is a process of guessing what other people want, or what will make them think favorably of us, and then acting accordingly. It’s an often subtle and usually unconscious attempt at manipulating other people’s perceptions of us. Anytime we pretend to be or feel something that we aren’t, we’re out of integrity with ourselves.

And anytime we’re doing something that is more about influencing what others think of us than it is about authentically expressing ourselves—even something as simple as a Facebook post that makes it seem like we are having a better day than we actually are—we end up out of integrity with ourselves.
Being out of integrity has pretty serious consequences for our happiness, and for our relationships. Here’s what happens when we aren’t being authentic.

1. We don’t actually fool anyone- Say you are at work, and you’re doing your best to put on a happy face even though your home life is feeling shaky. You may not want to reveal to your work friends that you and your significant other had a major fight over the weekend, but if you pretend that you are okay—and you’re not—you’ll probably make the people around you feel worse, too. Why?

We humans aren’t actually very good at hiding how we are feeling. We exhibit micro-expressions that the people we are with might not know they are registering but that trigger mirror neurons—so a little part of their brain thinks that they are feeling our negative feelings. So trying to suppress negative emotions when we are talking with someone—like when we don’t want to trouble someone else with our own distress—actually increases stress levels of both people more than if we had shared our distress in the first place. (It also reduces rapport and inhibits the connection between two people.)

2. We find it harder to focus- Pretending takes a huge conscious effort—it’s an act of self-control that drains your brain of its power to focus and do deep work. That’s because performing or pretending to be or feel something you’re not requires tremendous willpower. Tons of research suggests that our ability to repeatedly exert our self-control is actually quite limited. Like a muscle that tires and can no longer perform at its peak strength after a workout, our self-control is diminished by previous efforts at control, even if those efforts take place in a totally different realm.

So that little fib at the water cooler you told in order to make yourself seem happier than you are is going to make it hard for you to focus later in the afternoon. A performance or any attempt to hide who you really are, or pretend to be something you aren’t, is going to make it harder later to control your attention and your thoughts, and to regulate your emotions. It’ll increase the odds that you react more aggressively to a provocation, eat more tempting snacks, engage in riskier behaviors, and—this one is pretty compelling to me—perform more poorly on tasks that require executive function, like managing your time, planning, or organizing.

Fibbing to make yourself seem happier will increase the odds that you react more aggressively to a provocation, eat more tempting snacks, engage in riskier behaviors, and—this one is pretty compelling to me—perform more poorly on tasks that require executive function, like managing your time, planning, or organizing.

3. You’ll become more stressed and anxious- Let’s just call it like it is: Pretending to be or feel something that you don’t—even if it is a small thing, and even if it is relatively meaningless, and even if it is meant to protect someone else—is a lie. And lying, even if we do it a lot, or are good at it, is very stressful to our brains and our bodies. The polygraph test depends on this: “Lie Detectors” don’t actually detect lies, but rather they detect the subconscious stress and fear that lying causes. These tests sense changes in our skin electricity, pulse rate, and breathing. They also detect when someone’s vocal pitch has changed in a nearly imperceptible way, a consequence of tension in the body that tightens vocal chords.

The physiological changes that lie detectors sense are caused by glucocorticoids, hormones that are released during a stress response. And as you well know, stress hormones are bad news for your health and happiness over the long run.

Research shows that people who are given instructions for how to lie less in their day-to-day lives are actually able to lie less, and when they do, their physical health improves. For example, they report less trouble sleeping, less tension, fewer headaches, and fewer sore throats. These improvements in health are likely caused by the relative absence of a stress response.

And that’s not all: When the people in the above study lied less, they also reported improvements in their relationships and less anxiety.

We don’t lie or pretend or perform all the time, of course. But when we do, it’s important to see the consequences: increased stress, decreased willpower, impaired relationships. Although we might actually be trying to feel better by putting on a happy face for others, pretending always backfires in the end. Living inauthentically makes life hard and cuts us off from our sweet spot—that place where we have both ease and power.

Happy Monday beautiful hearts!  As I was flipping through my coaching notes over the weekend, an inspiring line from my coach, Michael grabbed my attention, "Most people are tending their weeds and not working with their flowers."

If you were to use the metaphor of a garden in your life, how often does your focus go to the patch of weeds rather than the beauty of the entire garden that is unfolding in front of you?  Can you appreciate the eclectic mix of potential in your life?  Are you compassionately holding space for new potentials?  Can you recognize that you have weeds growing, but in the midst of this, can you embrace the gorgeous flowers that are thriving?  A wise man once said, "Energy flows where attention goes."

It seems that throughout various moments of life, we have all narrowed our vision and targeted in on what's running a muck rather than whats flourishing.  If you were to peer into your own life right now, can you see your life with eyes of compassion and grace, or are you so focused on what's not happening that you are missing the miracles of this precious moment?

I think this analogy is helpful and real for our daily living!  There will be moments when all we can see are weeds, but there is a balance available to us to thrive in the midst of these weeds.  It has been my experience that I have to repeatedly return to this notion of working with the flowers in my life.  Getting into right relationship with our life encourages us to integrate and connect with every part of our lives.  Perhaps we are flourishing in our financial life, but floundering in our love life.  By allowing ourself to attune to new possibilities we awaken creative energies within ourselves and our lives.  These new possibilities help us to expand our consciousness.

May you have a beautiful blessed start to your week:)
May You Sweetly Seek:)
In Gratitude, 
​Sarah 

Happy Thursday beautiful hearts.  The other day I had the good fortune of discovering a wonderful book, Awakening Shakti by Sally Kempton.  As I dove into her book on the Transformative Power of the Goddesses of Yoga, I grew even more curious about this beautiful Yogi.  I googled her and instantly began browsing her article section.  I read through several and then got to this one, 'The Difficult People in Your Life.'  I am only including an excerpt, but will include a link that you could read the article in its entirety.  I find her work to be profoundly powerful.  

May this excerpt assist you in growing the understanding of your heart!
May You Sweetly Seek:)
In Gratitude, 
​Sarah 

Happy Wednesday beautiful hearts!  Today these words of wisdom are echoed from the sacred text of the Bhagavad Gita as recited by the beloved Ram Dass.  The Bhagavad Gita means, "The Song of the Blessed One." The Gita is a 700 hundred verse Hindu scripture that is a portion of the Hindu epic, the Mahabharata. The Mahabharata is a very long poem.  Stephen Mitchell, a modern day scholar who has translated the Gita reminds his readers that the Mahabharata is eight times the length of the Iliad and the Odyssey combined.  

This epic text has been a source of inspiration throughout the ages.  Ralph Waldo Emerson often refers to the Gita is his Journals, as does Henry David Thoreau.   Mitchell, has translated the Bhagavad Gita into a relatable source book of wisdom.   In essence the Gita recounts the story of a war between two clans of a royal family in Northern India.  The Gita takes place on the battlefield, and throughout the next seventeen chapters, a dynamic monologue ensues- to fight or not to fight.  This fight becomes identified as the internal 'fight' that one has within one's self.  The Gita illuminates many paths of self realization throughout the text.  

Stephen Mitchell leaves his readers with a primary question in regards to the message of the Gita, "The primary question is, How should we live?"

May you carry this question with you and allow it to echo off the walls of your heart...
May You Sweetly Seek:)
In Gratitude, 
​Sarah 

Happy Tuesday beautiful hearts!  I hope this day is finding you encouraged to share your unique energy with the world!  In case you have forgotten, it is my intention that this post would inspire you to truly reconnect with the divine essential energy of your ever evolving divine 'Self.' 

I was talking to a dear friend yesterday and I was sharing a project that I had to present last evening.  I had been sitting with this project-editing, deleting, questioning myself and running around in circles in my mind.  The question I began focusing on was, "How can I make this perfect?"  And then thank goodness, in enters my dear friend.  

"Stop it," she said!

As we were catching up, she reminded me that this presentation will be evolving, and that in the process I will be receiving feedback from my peers.  This class is designed to help me grow and refine what I am sharing with others.  As this point in our conversation I know I let out a big sigh and felt myself slide back into the energy of my heart and out of the circus of my mind.  I don't know about you, but there is quite a lot going on up in my mind sometimes!  

I find this experience so relatable to the practice of Yoga.  Baron Baptiste and other great Yogi's remind us to be beginners on our mats and in our lives.  We could have had a rockstar asana practice two days ago and show up three days later full of aches and complaints.  We are constantly evolving and changing.  Nothing about us is static.  When we are willing to surrender to what is we make exponential progress across the various planes of our lives.  

I'm so glad that my friend reminded me of this notion as I was sharing my presentation with her.  The very essence of my 4 week program is to inhabit the heart and as I was gathering my thoughts she helped me reconnect to the heart energy that encourages progress instead of perfection.  

Can you think of a time in your life where you were so concerned with perfection that you missed opportunities to grow, to embrace your vulnerabilities, and to say YES- I am a work in progress?  I know that is a lesson that I repeatedly embrace on this journey of life.  

I hope that by sharing my experience you will strive for progress rather than perfection, remembering that you are a gorgeous divine spark of love and light.  Share your heart with the world my friends!

May You Sweetly Seek:)
In Gratitude, 
​Sarah 

Happy Monday beautiful hearts!  As we begin the week, I wanted to zero in on a few items that could set the week off to a great start!  Here are some quick and easy daily habits that can tremendously improve your life:

• Keep a gratitude journal on your night stand- Upon waking, gather a list of at least 5 items/people/places, etc. that make your heart soar!! I'll challenge you to do this exercise for at least 30 days and create a new list every day.  Gratitude sets our day off on the right track!  
• Make your bed- Research has shown that by starting your day off finishing something, you are setting yourself up for success!  Honor the space that you find rest and healing in. 
• Create a ritual of not checking your phone for 30 minutes after waking- give your gorgeous brain a chance to connect to your surroundings and environment instead of bombarding it with emails and social media.
• Enjoy nature- step outside and take in the majesty of your surroundings.  Wether you live in the city or the country, head outside for at least 5 minutes and allow yourself to behold the simplicity of nature.  Perhaps you observe the magnificence of a tree, or maybe you breathe in the fresh morning air, or maybe you draw your attention towards the slowly moving clouds.  Soak up nature so that you can adopt her pace!
• Organize your tasks for the daily- Allow yourself to be most efficient by organizing your day.  If you don't know what you want/need to accomplish, chances are, you might end up spinning your wheels.  Create a list so that you can be inspired to knock out tasks.
• Write a thank you note or send a card- Isn't it nice to receive a card in the mail?  I still find myself eagerly skipping to my mailbox in anticipation of a card or letter.  Let someone know how special they are to you, or how grateful you are for their presence in your life.  Perhaps they showed you a random kindness- return the favor!
• Meditate!- Okay, so realistically the 30 minutes you spent scrolling through social media in the morning, you could dedicate to a meditation practice (I speak to myself as I write this!).  There are so many astounding benefits to meditation.  Grant yourself the gift of a gently returning back to the present moment.  No matter what's going on outside, know that inside- ALL IS WELL!
• Move your body!- Buy a FitBit, log your progress, phone a friend, eat to live.  Stay encouraged to move.  By moving our physical bodies, we set in motion the desires in our hearts!  Keep your temple in top condition.  Honor the ebb and flow of your body and alternate what feels good.  Your body needs you to love it.
• Try something new- Did you know that there is a world at your fingertips waiting to be discovered?  As Susan Jefferies said, "Feel the fear and do it anyways."  Recognize what is holding you back, inquire into your fears, offer yourself compassion, but don't forget to make it happen!  Allow your spirit to be thrilled with new experiences.  
• Say YES when you mean it and NO when you don't.- A wonderful teacher of mine told me to learn to become good at saying no.  A standard reply for me these days is, "If you need to know right now, the answer is no, but if you can wait 24 hours, I will get back in touch with you."  That is such a freeing reply.   Say YES because you really want to, not because you feel guilty or obligated.  Notice the energy behind your YES and your NO.
• Practice Compassion- It's easy to sometimes find compassion for others, but you more than anyone deserves self compassion.  All of our other relationships are predetermined by our relationship with 'Self.'  If we are judgmental, harsh, negative, and downright abusive to ourselves, you better believe that our other relationships will be a mirror of our relationship with ourself.  Put your hand on your heart and extend love to yourself.  You are doing phenomenal!  It isn't easy being a human being, there are oodles of lessons and moments of growth involved.  Offer compassion to yourself for where you have been and where you are going!     
• Rest- Sleep...Sleep...Sleep.  You wouldn't think of trying to drive your car without fuel, so why would you attempt to run your body without rest.  Dedicate yourself to night time rituals that promote sleep, peace, and calm.  Your precious body needs time to rest and heal.  

I hope you a wonderful Monday my friends!

May You Sweetly Seek:)
In Gratitude, 
Sarah 

Happy Friday beautiful hearts!  Today I am dedicating this post to one of my beloved teachers whose son was killed this past week.  As I think of this kind soul who has shared her light and blessed my life in such rich ways, I find myself compelled to hold she and her dear family in prayer, and I am asking that you would also send out a prayer of grace to their grieving hearts.    

She has helped me to foster and excavate the sacred spaces within my life, bearing meaning out of troubles and peace out of chaos.  Always offering a space of understanding and growth.  She has authentically shared her journey with myself and many others.  Throughout our time together she has presented a long lineage of rituals and traditions from the indigenous peoples of the world for our group to experience.  One of my favorite teachings has been on the Lakota Indians.  

Today my heart aches for her loss and I turn to this Lakota Prayer as an intercession of peace.  I repeat it in dedication to my mentor and friend...that she and her family might experience healing and be embraced in a sacred way with the passing of each glorious Sun.  

Aho Mitakuye Oyasin...All My Relations...
​May You be Sweetly Held...
In Gratitude, 
​Sarah