Relax and Recharge Retreat

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

It’s all about you!

Join us for a weekend dedicated to giving you time to relax, rejuvenate and reconnect with your soul.

Your hosts Sandy Walden, Holistic Life Coach and Reiki Master, Teacher along with Melissa Heisler Personal and Business Coach are dedicated to providing you with group activities as well as one on one time.

This retreat is intended to encourage you to put yourself first as you rest, relax and rejuvenate. You may participate in meditation or yoga, create your personal vision board, enjoy a stress-relieving Reiki session, and release old patterns with PSYCH-K, journal, read, take walks or simply nap. All while sharing the company of other strong, nurturing women.

While there are many activities offered there is no fixed schedule as flexibility and serving your needs is top priority. No rules, simply opportunities.

Healthy meals and snacks will be provided.

Gathering time – Friday, October 15 @ 12 noon
Departure time – Sunday, October 17 @ 3pm

Location – Galena, IL
Cost – $300.00

For more information regarding the retreat, please contact Sandy at (414) 378.8764 or Serenity@SandyWalden.com.

Meditation Musings – Mindfulness

Saturday, August 21st, 2010

Mindfulness has been defined by the psychologist and meditation teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn as “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmental”. Mindfulness is also a meditation technique in which one allows thoughts, images, feelings, and body sensations to pass through the mind without reacting to or becoming involved with, those things.

If, while meditating, one notices an itch on the end of the nose or in the middle of the back the meditator recognizes the sensation and allows it to pass. Simply, “I have an itch”. No attachment, no internal discussion, just “I have an itch”. Most of the time, after acknowledgment, the itch fades away and your mind has already moved on. We use the gentle, persistent returning to the Now to dismiss these sensations from our mind.

If you are a regular meditator and particular thoughts or sensations keep arising during your sitting you will take note of them, return to the moment and ponder them at a later time. Quite often simply becoming aware of the recurring thoughts or images can provide a very clear picture of what’s causing us to lose our center and/or grounding.

Please note the particulars of the definition cited above: on purpose, in the present moment, and without judgment.

We practice mindfulness on purpose. We decide it is a useful aspect of meditation, we become sensitive to it and it becomes part of our life. When we practice mindfulness in the zendo and with our sangha it’s very hard not to take it out into our daily lives.

We practice mindfulness in the present moment, in the Now. The Now is the place most meditation starts but when moved into our daily world mindfulness in the Now provides us with the real context of the events and emotions we experience, not the context we impose upon them.

We practice mindfulness without judgment. We accept what is, simply because it is. As the author R.A. Heinlein once wrote, “the observed phenomena requires no explanation, it simply exists”. Observing without judgment keeps us from jumping to conclusions. How many times have we made hasty assumptions about a situation or person and later discovered that if we had just kept ourselves open and nonjudgmental we would been saved a great deal of embarrassment? This same concept dispels the “why me?” and “it’s not fair” kind of thinking. Whatever it is, it just is.

Mindfulness can be used to help us relieve stress and anxiety simply by allowing it to pull us back into the Now. Stopping the whirling thoughts helps us move to a more stable mental place. When our technological world starts to overwhelm us a return to the Now of nature can reset our physical and mental clocks from the frantic pace of today’s techno-environment to the unique tempo nature imposes upon herself. We must never forget that it’s also our natural tempo and anything else is artificial.

Personally, I think I’ll go outside and mindfully feel the breeze on my face, smell the flowers in the garden and enjoy the Now.

Namaste
Jim

Meditation Musings – Equanimity

Sunday, August 8th, 2010

A natural process in meditation for many people is the development of equanimity- the ability to “let go”. Equanimity allows us to detach ourselves from thoughts and images that attempt to distract us from the Now. As we sit and meditate our minds may become distracted by things like “What will I have for lunch?” or “I should be doing……” or “Why did I …..” Equanimity allows us to gently and persistently bring ourselves back to the moment. No guilt, no sense of failure, no idea of “I must try harder”. Just a gentle and persistent return to the Now.

When this feeling carries over into the rest of our world we begin applying equanimity to our daily life. We typically lose much of the “why me?” and “it isn’t fair” kind of thinking. We might spend more time in the Now, truly interacting with the people around us and seeing our environment in a mindful and sensitive way.

Equanimity and the return to the Now can help when our minds start to work in circles, become unduly anxious about something in the future or past, or obsess on a given thought or phrase. It also allows us to release negative thoughts and emotions about our daily aggravations and irritations. That petty squabble with a spouse or coworker never gets a chance to be over-thought or blown out of proportion if our equanimity allows us to release the conflict and return to a more centered and grounded mental state. The same process allows many people to release the persistent thoughts that keep them awake at night, as their minds refuse to let go of their waking activities.

Other people sometimes misinterpret our equanimity as a “don’t care” attitude. Actually, we wouldn’t have to apply our ability to release things if we didn’t care. A better interpretation would be “I care but it wouldn’t be productive for me to hang on to this thought, feeling, image, or emotion”.

For me, equanimity is the source of that small smile I often wear. It’s not amusement at the foibles and foolishness of the people around me, it’s the result of recognizing my own silliness at becoming entangled in the snares my mind creates out of unnecessary attachments to things that won’t do me any good. I release them and smile at the human nature that causes even those of us who know better to be caught up in such futile exercises.

Meditation has many benefits for the practitioner and the development of equanimity is only one of them. The ability to release nonproductive or unnecessary attachments in our mind helps bring out that sense of peace and serenity that should be a mainstay of our daily lives.

Namaste,
Jim

Will Reiki Cure Me?

Saturday, July 31st, 2010

Maybe, maybe not.

I bet you wanted more than that didn’t you? Here’s the full scoop, I simply cannot say and neither can anyone else. When I offer Reiki to someone it’s with the intention that the Reiki do for that person what is for their highest good. I simply cannot predict nor judge what that will look like.

Reiki is by definition life-force energy. Our personal energy becomes disrupted by negativity or imbalance of any sort. Thoughts, emotions, physical distress, all can knock our energy out of balance and may manifest as ailments on any level, physical, mental, emotional or spiritual. When you receive Reiki the energy flows to offer you balance once again. However, how and when you receive that energy is up to you on both a conscious and subconscious level.

When I offer Reiki to a client I ask them to intend that the energy will help them to release the negativity which no longer serves their highest good. It is important however to note that I have no way of knowing what the receiver is ready to release. If we are ready on all levels to heal then the healing may well begin. That healing may begin on a spiritual level and offer physical relief, either partial or complete. The balance that is restored to a client begins the healing on whatever level is for their highest good at that moment.

Healing has many definitions. It may the complete resolution of a problem, or it may be temporary relief of certain symptoms. For instance, I occasionally suffer from shoulder pain. While I may ask for relief from this pain during a Reiki session, until and unless I am ready to release the mental and emotional issues which manifest themselves as that pain, it will recur in time.

Am I asking for temporary relief or long term healing? Am I willing to make the changes to my life which will bring about healing? These changes may mean respecting and loving myself enough to take excellent self-care. It could be forgiving someone who has hurt me, releasing old grievances, reducing work or family stress, etc.

When my dog Indy had his strokes, I found myself offering him Reiki to heal him on whatever level was appropriate for him. I had no way of knowing if this meant restoration to his former strong, athletic self or minimizing his discomfort and bringing him peace as he passed form this life. All I knew for sure was that the Reiki would calm Indy, and do what was truly best for him.

What all of this means is that I can and will make absolutely no promises about what your Reiki experience will look or feel like. I assure you that Reiki can never do harm, only good. While some clients report dramatic healing experiences that is not the case for everyone. Reiki will offer you restored balance and as we return to the balance which nature intended we are restored to our personal best.

I encourage you to give me a call for your own Reiki session. Then you will have the opportunity to explain to me just how the experienced has offered benefit to you.

Namaste,

Sandy

Meditation Musings – Being In The Now

Saturday, July 24th, 2010

Meditation comes in many forms and with many techniques but one of the commonalities of most of them is that one must usually start by being in the Now.

Among the traditional Ways, most fall into one of two methods; concentrative or mindful. In concentrative meditation one focuses their attention on something specific, the breathing, an image, or a sound (mantra), while in mindful meditation one allows thoughts, images, feelings, sensory input, to pass through the mind without attaching to them or becoming engaged by them. In either technique one must have a starting point and that point is usually the Now.

Most of us don’t spend much time in the Now. Have you ever finished a routine trip in the car without being aware of the actual trip? You were somewhere but you weren’t in the Now. Your mind was thinking about something else while your body was on “auto-pilot”. When you are lying awake for the second night in a row, unable to sleep because your thoughts keep whirling around in your head, you’re not in the Now. When you walk away from the stove without turning off the burner, you’re dangerously not in the Now. For much of human history not being in the Now was often a fatal condition.

Babies exist in the Now and one can often watch as toddlers stop living in the Now over a matter of weeks or months. If you’ve ever played an intense game of volleyball (or some other sport) and felt like you had all the time in the world as everything around you slowed down, you were in the Now. The runner who’s in “the zone” and exhilarates in the feeling of the breath in their nostrils and the blood pumping in their arteries is in the Now.

Meditation allows us to relearn being in the Now and many of us then carry that process out of the zendo and into our daily lives. When one has learned to use that gentle, persistent redirection of the mind into the Now while meditating one often finds applications in other places. When faced with a complicated or tedious task at work, being in the Now allows us to keep focus and make better use of our time and energy. When interacting with other people, being in the Now makes us more tuned-in to them and can make us aware of subtle verbal and nonverbal cues we would otherwise miss. If one is in the Now at bedtime those whirling thoughts aren’t there and one can finally get to sleep. In a strange or unfamiliar situation being in the Now can bring to our attention details and information that can help keep us safe.

Some schools of meditation indicate that the ultimate goal of sitting is to move into a state where one is always in the Now. I would like to meet such a person. I marvel at the thought of such a disciplined mind and I think it would be fascinating to see how they deal with their day-to-day world.

Personally, this is one of the reasons that I say I “practice” meditation, staying in the Now isn’t always easy for me. I have, however, learned to notice the signs of my distraction and gently and persistently pull myself back into the moment. As time goes by I’ll continue to get better at it. It’s another tool in my spiritual and mental toolbox that helps enhance my life and make me a better person.

Namaste,
Jim

Join Team Ameriprise/Serenity!

Monday, July 19th, 2010

I don’t know anyone whose life has not been touched by cancer in one form or another. Ovarian cancer is often referred to as ‘The Disease that Whispers’ because it is often undetected in early stages. WOCA, or Wisconsin Ovarian Cancer Alliance is working hard to change all of that. It is their mission to educate the public regarding the symptoms of ovarian cancer so that it is recognized in it’s earliest stages when the survival rate is extremely high. They also make it their mission to offer support and advocate on behalf of women with ovarian cancer. These ladies are hard working, but always cheerful and optimistic. They know they are making a real difference in the world.

September is ovarian cancer awareness month. WOCA holds many events during September and one of them is Nancy’s Run, Rock N Stroll on September 18th. One of my favorite people suggested forming ‘Team Serenity’, a few team members will undoubtedly run the 5K and some will walk. This is your invitation to participate as part of Team Serenity.

You are of course most welcome to participate on your own or form your own team! For more information, visit the WOCA website. http://www.wisconsinovariancancer.com/news-and-events.php The brochure is also attached.

There are many other wonderful events happening, particularly in September, including the month long event ‘Turn the Towns Teal’ when they ask us to simply raise awareness of ovarian cancer by tying teal ribbons (gladly provided by WOCA) on your mailbox, lamp posts or at your place of business.

Serenity is donating $10 from each coaching and Reiki appointment scheduled in September to WOCA, it is our privilege to support this wonderful organization.

Give me a jingle, or drop me a line via email if you’d like to join Team Serenity. Of course we’ll have a great time and we will be making a difference. How cool is that?

Namaste,
Sandy

Meditation Musings

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

As Serenity expands it’s Group Meditation offerings I’d like to take a few
moments to talk about how we view meditation and how our groups tend to work.

Modern science tells us of many benefits of meditation including lower blood
pressure, stress level reduction and better sleep patterns. Most of us who
practice meditation would add to the list, a better understanding of ourselves
and a generally calmer attitude towards life’s travails and petty indignations.
Some form of meditation seems to be a part of most civilizations and some
methods have been in use for thousands of years.

I was an occasional meditator for many years and mostly practiced when I felt
the stress in my life becoming overwhelming. One day it dawned on me that if
meditation could help when I was under a heavy stress load, perhaps, if used on
a regular basis, it could keep my stress load from building up in the first
place.
As I practiced on a more regular basis I began to study the different types of
meditation disciplines. I was struck, not by the differences, but by the
similarities. I also found that my own meditation technique (crafted  by 40
years of intermittent practice) fell into none of the traditional methods. And
yet, I benefit enormously from my practice.

I don’t find it surprising that humans have found such diverse ways to touch
that place we touch when we meditate. We are an endlessly creative species. And
the similarities within all these practices? Well, how many shapes can a wheel
be? They were all created to get us to that place we go when we  sit. That is
their greatest commonality.

My friend Sandy says that when she prays she’s talking to God, when she
meditates she’s listening to God. I start my meditation each morning with the
affirmation “I sit, I sit because it is what I do, I sit without thought of goal
or gain”. Our respect for each other’s Way is evident and when you come to our
group your Way will be equally respected.

If you’ve never meditated before we can certainly help you find your own Way.
There’s nothing magical or difficult about it. You don’t have to sit
cross-legged on a funny cushion (but please don’t mind if I do). You don’t have
to “stop your thoughts” (unless you want to). If you do nothing but sit quietly
in a calm and supportive atmosphere you will begin to reap the benefits of
meditation.

Our groups usually meet for 90 minutes. First we typically have a short reading
and/or discussion about some aspect of meditation. We then have 30-45 minutes of
meditation, which could be a guided meditation recording, meditation appropriate
music, or guidance by a group member. We then have a short time to unwind,
discuss the day’s meditation, journal or sit quietly. Whatever the group
prefers.

We presently have our Wednesday morning group which meets from 9:30-11:00 am but
if you would like to see a group at another time or in another format, let us
know. We will be expanding to evenings and weekends as new groups form. We have
a $5 fee per session to help defray the cost of the space, tea, and water.

As these groups grow I’m excited about meeting people with techniques new to me
and those who wish to begin meditating for the first time. Who knows what we’ll
learn?

Nemaste,
Jim

What do You Prefer?

Sunday, June 27th, 2010

Everything is coming up roses!

I believe that we live the life that we ask for. We ask with our thoughts, so be careful what you think.

It seems to me that more and more people are becoming aware, or being reawakened to what I believe is an absolute fact, the universe operates on the law of attraction. What does this law say? Very simply, that our thoughts are magnetic attractors which draw to us the life that we are living. Our thoughts form our beliefs and our beliefs become our reality.

Huh? If that’s your response, bear with me here and we’ll explore this a bit more. Have you ever been worried about something in your life and given yourself a headache? Who do you think created that headache? Have you had the experience of driving to an appointment telling yourself the entire time that ‘I just know I’m going to be late!’ and then arrived late? Why do you think that you lived out your thoughts, fate?  We’ve all heard about medical studies, group A is given a medication, group B is given a sugar pill or some sort of neutral ‘medication’, but still group B achieves some excellent response? Ah, yes, the placebo effect.

We’ve got excellent reasons for each of the results above, and we usually say things like ‘of course I’ve got a headache, I’m upset’ or ‘placebo effect means it’s not real, it’s all in your head’. Hmmm, it seems to me that if I believe that being upset results in a headache then doesn’t that mean that my mental or emotional state has brought about my current  physical reality? Let’s go further with the placebo effect, there are many research papers written verifying that the placebo effect, means that results are achieved. Love that! Follow this link for a very powerful article on the placebo effect. http://bit.ly/NR69

This is the premise that we begin with when we gather for the MasterMind groups. Here’s the skinny on how it all works. We gather in a group of no more than five (5) people so that there is time for each participant to share effectively. We spend a short time sharing what is going on in our lives and then we quickly move to sharing the way we would prefer our lives to unfold. Here’s where the power comes in…are you ready? We have already affirmed our belief that we can create our lives with our beliefs, we believe that when we combine our intentions, agreeing to see specific results for one another and asking our Higher Power to bring this about that we are amplifying the intention and bringing it faster, stronger and more clearly than if any of us were working individually. All of the participants in the group agree to see or visualize the life that each of the other participants prefers. In other words, if Herb asks me to see him driving an orange VW convertible, I take the time each day to ‘see’ him driving that orange VW convertible, knowing that his preferences are coming to him now.  We always acknowledge and appreciate with sincere gratitude the successes which have come about in each of our lives. We hold onto that knowledge and appreciation when holding our intentions for one another. It’s very powerful.

The upshot of all of this? We are now leading our lives much more intentionally. The awareness that we create our lives with our thoughts and beliefs is an eye-opening and very exciting experience. It encourages us to be mindful of our thoughts, the words we speak and the state of mind that we maintain. If I would like my life to be rosey in all aspects,  I simply intend that  everything I experience will be rosey.  Awesome!

This week I encourage you to get clear about how you would like your life to unfold. As for me, I intend and expect  that everything is coming up roses.

Namaste,

Sandy

Reiki for Self-Care

Friday, June 25th, 2010

What do you do to take care of yourself? You may exercise, eat right, meditate or a variety of other activities which offers relaxation and the opportunity to ‘unwind’.  May I suggest that you consider adding Reiki to your daily practice?

Reiki, defined as Universal Life Energy, is an excellent addition to your daily routine. When I teach Reiki I always encourage my students to give themselves Reiki every day.  Reiki is a gentle, hands on healing technique which offers balancing of your life energy. You don’t need any special equipment or tools to do Reiki. Simply your time and intention. It doesn’t get much better than that!

When you give yourself Reiki you learn to become more aware of your own energy, when you are out of balance and the subtle shifts as you come back into balance. Reiki helps you on all levels, the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. And here’s another wonderful detail, you don’t need to know where the imbalance is or on which level you need to heal. Because Reiki is channeled through you from our Higher Power, it goes where it’s most needed for your highest good.

You may want to spend an hour or more giving yourself Reiki everyday, or you may only spend a few moments with Reiki. What sort of time do you want to give to yourself? It’s all up to you and it’s always going to work for your benefit. Personally, I often give myself Reiki while I relax in the evening, even while I’m watching television or reading a book.

Once you’ve been attuned to Reiki, by taking a Reiki class, you will discover that it’s available to you at any time, simply hold the intention that Reiki flow and the energy flow begins. Ahhh, love that!

As always, I encourage you to take excellent care of yourself. I’d also like to suggest that you consider adding Reiki to your daily routine. It’s a lovely addition and an excellent method of self-care.

Namaste,

Sandy

Memorial Day

Monday, May 31st, 2010

I want to take this opportunity to offer my deep and most sincere thanks to all of the Veteran’s who have served our country.

Too often we see this long weekend as simply an opportunity to gather with family and friends and throw a few burgers on the grill. I’m all for the gathering, but would like to remember but I hope that we take a few moments out during these gatherings to remember those who put themselves on the line to ensure our freedom.

Thank you for all that you have given up for us. At the very least, you have given your time. You have left your family and friends behind, often you have left your job or education behind. Whether serving in peace time or war, here at home or behind enemy lines, you have offered to give your all for your country. Many have made the ultimate sacrifice and will never see their loved ones again. A Veteran is a man or woman of honor,  each and every one of you is my hero.

Mere words can never express how deep my gratitude goes. So, once again, let me simply say thank you.

Warmly,
Sandy