How Much Stess Can We Take?

You know that tingly feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you've found yourself smack dab in the middle of some major (or minor) life/work/emotional/romantic crisis?  Your palms start to sweat, your heart rate increases, and your vision blurs a bit while the adrenalin is pumping.

The physiological definition of stress (according to Webster’s Dictionary) is quite interesting:  “…a specific response by the body to a stimulus, as fear or pain, that disturbs or interferes with the normal physiological equilibrium of an organism.” We know that stress is necessary in all of our lives; otherwise the runaway bus that is hurling down the street in our direction would be of no interest. We rely on stress to keep us out of trouble, but for many it's the stress itself that is putting us in harm's way.

About six months ago, I was experiencing constant pain throughout my shoulders, neck, and back.  Although I practice yoga and am active and healthy, I just couldn't shake the consistent soreness.  I decided to see a chiropractor for some help.  We went through the typical new patient questions, just giving him a brief synopsis of my life.  As he was checking my pulse, he looked up at my cautiously.

"Am I making you nervous?"

 I felt bad that he would think this.

 "No."  I told him.

At that moment we were talking about my job, and I was explaining the agonizing toxicity of the environment.  He then told me that my heart rate was so elevated in reaction to this conversation that as a medical professional he should admit me to the hospital.  He blatantly told me that if my heart continues to be regularly put under such duress, I will have a heart attack before I turn 30. 

Where did I go wrong?  How did I end up here?   I always thrived under stress; I felt like that was really when I had the opportunity to shine. How was I so oblivious to the fact that my life consisted of endless strands of sweat-inducing, gut flipping, nail biting melodramas?  I had to ask myself:  “Is this job really worth it?” I know that many of us deal with the same basic question whether in regards to our relationships, money, family or fears.  Needless to say, my answer was no and I immediately realized the urgency for a major life overhaul. 

I quit my job and started collecting the pieces of myself that were left in the wake of my stress-induced binge.    I discovered how dreadfully out of balance life had become for me.  I made a promise to reconnect with My Mind, My Body, and My Spirit and to never again lose touch of their enormous gravity.

I am beyond grateful to welcome this refreshing sense of peace back into my life.  I am ecstatic as a I start my next journey to intimately understand the peace we all seek.

What Are You Going To Bring In This Year?

Christmastime has come and gone and a new year is officially upon us.  The holidays and their aftermath can bring a wide arrange of emotions for us all ranging from elation to dread. Last month, as my family and I prepared for our festivities to begin, we couldn't help but admit that a sense of sadness had sunk in.  My stepfather passed away two summers ago, and since then things have just been different.  

My mother, with her infinite well of wisdom, came up with an idea - a way to make amends with our looming feelings and to emotionally clean house.  She instructed us to decide what we were ready to leave behind in 2009, and write that list down.  Also, we were told to compile a list of what we are going to bring into our lives in the new year.   The process was incredibly eye opening; it felt good to put those feelings down on paper.  After dinner we all read our lists aloud, which included some tears.  Sharing those raw emotions was healing, especially when in the company of those you love.  To close our ceremony, we shuffled out to the backyard and tossed the "Leaving Behind" lists into a small fire that my mom had made. As we stood in the snow, I really felt a sense of freedom and peace wash over me as I watched my own sadness, worry, and regret turn into ash.

I am grateful to start anew. I'm happy to cherish the past but keep shuffling towards the abundance, happiness, and joy that is all around us.

Who Said Living With a 3yr Old Was Easy?

Instant tantrums, power struggles, 30 minute crying fits, whining, talking back is a typical day for me and my 3 year old.  My quest for innerpeace is definitely challenged by my spirited daughter on a daily basis.  She's a sweet girl, very cute and when she wants to be - a good girl.  However, I don't know what's come over her these days.  Lately, she's been driving me up a wall, leaving me feeling frustrated, anxious and vunerable.  Is it me?  Is it her age? Am I not listening to her?

I used to say I wasn't going to be "that parent." Before I had kids, I thought I was going to be a great mom who listens to my children, which would prevent any type of ill behavior.  Um, yeah, I was wrong!  I do everything in my power to keep her calm, happy and healthy, but kids will be kids.  My husband and I are trying our best to strike a balance between having the upper-hand and letting her express herself, but quite honestly, it's not working to our benefit!

I know it's a phase that will pass shortly, but in the meantime, let's pray that I make it out with some sanity!

This isn't an easy situation and after discussing it with other moms last night, I'm not the only one.  Bottom line: it's a difficult age and I'm going to have to suck it up, not let my frustration get the best of me and BREATHE when times get rough. 

So What Inspires You?

                                                                      Art work by Esther Aarts

People get inspired by different things.  I get inspired by Art (both creating and appreciating) and organization (a skill that I aspire to have).  My husband gets inspired by music, my sister - vintage fashion.

For some, sources of inspiration come from nature, photography, recycling, sex, exercise, children, traveling, reading, helping others and the list goes on.

Most times we feel inspired, but I think these days, more than ever, people are feeling less than inspired with the holidays behind us and chilly weather on the horizon for the next few months.  Why not dump these uninspired feelings and start finding or reconnecting with what makes us HAPPY?

What inspires you?  What gives you that "excited" feeling?  Is it your family? Your partner in life? Your job? It could be anything that makes your life feel purposeful and really pumped to be alive.

On the media side of things, it's an easy time to get the encouragement.  Magazines, TV and a plethora of books are front and center with tips to help you "lose weight", "detoxify your body", "get organized", "get connected with your family", etc.  Let's ride on this encouragement to find that something that inspires you and let's feed it with love, hard work and happiness.

Please share your stories!  Would love to hear what inspires you.

It's Here!

I really could not be more excited to read Elizabeth Gilbert's latest book Committed,  Sceptic Makes Peace With Marriage.  The title strikes a personal chord with anyone - whether your are a devout and loyal romantic or cautious with your heart that has been broken before.  There was a period of about six months that I slept with her book "Eat, Pray, Love" under my pillow. I just could not get enough of the richness of her words.  Her pain spoke to me, and when she found the peace that often comes after the pain, my world shifted.  I realized that it is our human right to have that peace, and that it is always waiting for us on the other side.

Happy reading.

10 Sources of (INNER)PEACE for 2010

2010 has arrived and I'm feeling pumped for the new year and the beginning of a new decade!

People are getting inspired, getting healthy, realizing the importance of what we are putting in and on our bodies, conscious of the fact that our earth is precious and that we need to do everything in our power to heal it, realizing we truly have the power to help people around the world, and that we have total control of our thoughts (no matter how hard we have to work at it).

'10 sources of (inner)peace:

1.  The children in our lives.  Kids have this amazing way of forcing us to be PRESENT.  They are in the moment when they are running around, playing, eating, etc.  They focus on the task at hand, which is something that us adults need to remind ourselves to do.

2. Our Moms.  Both Meg and I have truly amazing moms.  Speaking for myself, I was the typical teenager who liked to do things my way.  My mom and I used to butt heads often, but as the years pass, she has inspired me to follow my dreams, be confident in what I do, to think for myself, and to have a lot of fun while doing it.  Meg's mom has been such a great support for her, as well.  She opened her eyes to trusting her life's path.  We are so thankful for them.

3.  You!  Thank you for all of your support in making this possible and for encouraging us to experience life on many different levels, and to share our thoughts.  We truly enjoy this process and look forward to living enlightened lives with you.

4.  Our significant others.  They are amazing, supportive and allow us to be who we truly are.

5.  Our friendships.  I can honestly say, Meg and I have wonderful friends who make us laugh, encourage us to live life to the fullest; and allow us to share our concerns, happiness and good fortune with one another.

6.  Books.  Books are an essential source of inspiration for the(Inner)Peace project.  As our libraries grow, so do our minds.

7.  Our city, Chicago. What a wonderful city with good people.  We are fortunate to have many facilities, beautiful gardens and architecture, wellness centers, etc. around as sources of inspiration.

8.  Vegetables and Fruit.  As I learn the benefits of raw fruit and vegetables, the more excited I get to consume them.  Eating well can truly make a difference in how our brain functions.  On a physical level, it makes our bodies feel great and it helps to keep a well balanced mind.

9.  Music.  Nothing like music to bring back a great memory, make us smile, dance, sing, and feel pure joy that inspires us to live in the moment.

10.  LOVE

We truly hope you have an inspired 2010.  Remember, anything is possible.  Put your mind to whatever you want to achieve and make it your best year ever!  That's our plan.

What?! A six pack without doing a single crunch? Sign me up!!!

During a Pilates session a few weeks back, my instructor, Angela, mentioned that it was possible to get a six pack without doing a single sit-up.  I thought that was crazy and too good to be true.  Angela kindly offered this circuit to help YOU get that strong core you have always wanted.  This is how you do it:


6 Abdominal Exercises for a Shredded Core
by Angela M. Carini, Certified Pilates Instructor

Here are 6 effective exercises you can do at home without equipment and without ever doing a single crunch! They will shred your core, strengthen your upper and lower body and burn body fat. For maximum results do the circuit listed below at least 3 times a week.

Do each exercise for 30 seconds without any rest between exercises. If this is too challenging for you allow yourself to rest in increments of 15 seconds and then challenge yourself by gradually lessening the time in between exercises. Repeat this circuit 3 times, resting for 30 seconds to a minute in between circuits. To make the circuit more difficult do not rest at all in between the circuits!

1. Plank
Get into push up position on hands and toes, or on elbows and toes. Contract your abdominal muscles (and core). Keep your back straight (don't collapse in the middle) and hold this position for as long as you can.

2. Mountain Climbers
Start on your hands and knees and get into in a sprinter’s start position. Keep your hands on the ground and push off with your feet so you alternate foor placement (run in place) as long as you can. Be sure to keep your back straight, not arched.

3. Squat Thrusts
Stand with feet together. Squat down and place your hands on the floor next to your feet. In an explosive movement, jump feet backwards into a push-up position, jump feet back between hands and stand up.

We took a video of this move but I wasn't able to upload it.  If you need a visual, think Burpee from high school gym class-haha...sounds funny, but it's a tough one!

4. Side Plank
Lie on your left side. Place your forearm in front of you onto the mat. Position yourself so that only the forearm of your left hand plus the left side of your hips and legs are in contact with the floor. Position your other hand either palm down onto the mat in front of you or behind your head. Maintain good core body posture and balance by first using your right hand as leverage on the mat. Set your left leg directly atop the other. Brace the abdominals.

5. Push-ups
Begin in push up position, on knees or toes. Perform 4 push ups, abs in and back straight. On the 5th push up, lower halfway down and hold for 4 counts. Push back up and repeat the series.

6. Cross Body Mountain Climbers
Start on your hands and knees and get into in a sprinter’s start position. Brace your abdominals as you bring your right knee forwards and across the body towards the left elbow or armpit, keeping the foot close to the ground, but don't allow it to touch the floor. Extend the leg back to the start position and repeat on the opposite side.

Angela has a unique gift of helping people transform their bodies into lean muscle machines (I'm still working on mine!)  She's tough but she truly cares about her clients.  I have been impressed and inspired by her since I took up Pilates a couple years ago.  She's the real deal!  If you live in the Chicagoland area and would like to have a session with her, check out her website to get her contact info.  If you are interested in taking a class, she instructs a Cardio Pilates class on Tuesday evenings at 7pm and Saturday mornings at 10am at Essence Pilates.  They are hard but SO WORTH IT!  If you can't make it, copy and paste this circuit onto a word document, print it, and DO IT!  After you start seeing results you will be happy you did!


Angela M. Carini, B.S., AOBTA CP, PMA-CPT has over 10 years of experience in the fields of dance, bodywork, and mind-body fitness. She holds a Bachelors in Dance from Northwestern University and is a Certified Pilates Instructor through the Pilates Method Alliance. Angela is also an AOBTA Certified Shiatsu Practitioner and Instructor and has taught Shiatsu at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine and Zen Shiatsu Chicago. She has authored a popular beginning level Shiatsu video entitled The Art of Shiatsu.

Visit Angela online at http://www.angelacarini.com

The Power of Thank You

"If the only prayer you say in your life is "thank you," it would be enough."

-Meister Eckhart

These poignant words started me thinking about the unharnessed power of a thank you (and a please for that matter). If we say thank you for the "small" things like this breath, this step, or this glass of water, the world's abundance is immediately revealed. Try it out! Please, and thank you.

Drink Like You Give a Damn

On our quest to finding inner peace and balance in our often chaotic lives, enjoying a wine pitstop is a great way to reconnect with the earth, ourselves, and one another. But you can't help but wonder where does this grape juice come from? And what about the people who are picking the grapes, are they properly compensated? Etica Fair Trade Wine leaves nothing to chance, believing that Fair Trade is the best practice to creating sustainable livlihoods for all people equally, while working diligently to protect the environment. Chin Chin to these trendsetters, bottoms up!

Breathe

"You can live two months without food and two weeks without water, but you can only live a few minutes without air." Hung Yi-Hsiang, Taoist Master

Without thinking we are always breathing in and out. We breathe in oxygen-rich air and breathe out carbon dioxide (those pesky toxins). We usually do not even think of this basic instinct we have which is necessary for our survival.

In the book, "The Natural Health Bible" by Lisha Simester, it says most people in the West do not breathe deeply enough, which doesn't allow us to have optimum health. If we do not breathe correctly, our energy levels may be lower, we may have chronic fatigue, allergies, colds and many other problems. All because we may not be breathing properly (breathing too shallowly, too long or fast).

Breathing exercises can help us get through our most stressful situations. It provides support and mental clarity (think of those women who use deep slow breaths when giving birth).

Deep breathing is a practice that is a long-accepted fundamental technique in other countries, especially China and India. With more people including exercises such as yoga into their daily lives, the awareness of breathing is much more prevalent. However, because teaching breathing techniques is not a very common practice for most people, we have become bad at breathing. I know you're thinking - come on, another thing that we need to work on?! Yes! According to Simester, "Because we are not taught breathing techniques as part of our health education in the West, many people develop bad habits out of ignorance, combined with laziness."

The Chinese believe that correct breathing is vital for our important functions such as, blood pressure, stress reduction, and hormone secretions. Breathing correctly is the key to well being and longevity.

The book offers a couple of breathing exercises. I will include the simplest one:

Slowly inhale and exhale through the nose. With each breath, bring the air down to the diaphragm, allowing the stomach to expand with each inhalation, gently pulling in the abdomen.

Simple, right? Now try it. I really tried hard to focus on my breathing and noticed how my mood was lifted almost immediately. Yoga and Pilates are also great ways to practice breathing in a controlled environment. Try it out. Let me know how it works for you!

Finding a Way to Heal and Learning How to Deal With It

This is a guest post from a colleague, Shannon Galton, who is in public relations and an amazing and insightful yoga instructor. She is on the path of enlightenment and is working towards healing wounds from the past. Here are her words on why we should deal with issues head on and the affects of what can happen if we take an avoidance approach. May her words inspire you as they have me.

It took me all of 29 years to realize that we as human beings make ourselves suffer. Don’t get me wrong, it is obvious we do not enjoy suffering. Whether it is from a death, divorce or financial crisis, we generally do not enjoy being put through the ringer. But some of us do not face our problems the healthy way, which leads to more and more unhappiness.

Here’s the thing: so often is the case, that instead of facing our problem and working our way through it, we throw it back into our mind. We bury it. We trap it. We cover it up, continue on with life, and it gets stuck down there in our soul or our subconscious or wherever you want to believe it goes. And it stays there.

It would be one thing if the problem just stayed put (wow, would all of our problems be solved). But, that’s not the way it works. This problem soon becomes exacerbated. It thrives on not being dealt with, and it forces us to unconsciously make decisions for the rest of our lives in a different way. Whereas, if we would have dealt with the problem head first, we could potentially have avoided years of subconscious torment. Face it, whether you want to admit it or not, once you bury your problems and do not deal with them, they come out in other ways. They are not happy buried in your soul or your mind. They find a way to resurface. Six months or six years later, eventually, they resurface. And more often than not, they have resurfaced in a completely different shape and taken on a life of their own.

So now is the time to deal with your past, starting with the problems you have buried. We need to untrap the negative thoughts that have stemmed from a major area of trauma in our past lives. We all have them! Because whether we like it or not, the problems that delve under the surface become traumas. Once buried into our subconscious long enough, they change who we are, how we think and our decision-making process. Simply put, they make us unhappy. It might take a few years, but it happens.

Learn to be honest with yourself about the problems you have not dealt with. Meditation, counseling, yoga, journaling….unlock the potential of who you can be, simply by confronting your past and beginning the journey to heal. Your mind, body and soul will thank you.

"Bigger Picture"

We use our brain every day. We go to work or school, do our daily routines, tackle small obstacles, operate heavy machinery (our car), and we observe and make judgements.

What if we didn't just go through the motions everyday and simply used our MIND to understand the bigger picture of life? What if we didn't think of the (sometimes negative) little thoughts that occupy our minds that affect our relationships, our daily activity, our bodies and our outlook on life?

What if we thought "bigger picture". What is the "bigger picture"? I don't know, but I don't think it consists of us obsessing about our credit, what a person thought of us, that last 10, 20, 30 lbs we need to lose, whether or not the neighbor raked their leaves this weekend, etc.

These are my thoughts on bigger picture and our life's purpose:

-We are here to learn particular life lessons (more on how I feel about this in later posts)
-To help one another though our journeys (we are all going through life together, let's help one another out by encouraging and supporting one another)
-To treat people with kindness and respect
-To let others know they are loved by you
-To raise small minds to be as creative and expressive as possible
-To teach small children to love well (by loving them well and unconditionally)
-To inspire greatness in others
-To know that when we are doing something with our BEST INTENTIONS, our hearts will be bursting at the seams with love, pride and absolute joy.

This is possible. I know it is. We just need to trust ourselves and use our minds to look at the bigger picture. Let's stop thinking of the petty stuff and start thinking about the important stuff.

How do we do this? This is the journey that we are on. We will figure this out together, but I do know it's out there.

Feel free to share your thoughts on what the "bigger picture" means to you.

Hold on Tight, Girls!

Not me and my boyfriend!
Courtesy of Women's Health Magazine

Leafing through my November issue of Women's Health magazine "Have Amazing Sex All Month Long" stood before me on the glossy page. Of course I had to read further, a woman has needs after all! I was surprised to see a very thorough outline of a women's cycle, with all of the hormonal ebbs and flows. Are all women riding this roller coaster of hormones? After two years of taking, gulp, "The Pill" I couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic for the creativity surge during ovulation and that reflective time before menstruation. My hormones have been at a steady baseline - sometimes I feel jealous when Ashley claims to be suffering from PMS. Looks like a classic case of the grass is always greener.

My mom is a pusher (in the most loving way) when it comes to books with a spiritual well-being premise, I often have a hard time keeping up with the stack on my nightstand, but was changed forever when I came across Dr. Christiane Northrup's Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom. After reading this book, I felt like I really understood my own body for the first time. I had an overwhelming sense of respect for myself as a woman, I feel proud.

Dr. Northrup goes to great lengths explaining what our bodies experience while on the pill - none of it being natural in any sense of the word. How do we balance the struggle of honoring our bodies while maintaining our needs? I guess we each need to answer that for ourselves.

OUR HOUSE

Our House

Stress is a bad bad thing...
but we all have it. Every person is different on what they stress about and how it manifests in our mind and body. Stress happens to everyone - it doesn't matter what race you are, the financial situation you are in, your body type, the job you have, what your love life is like or whether or not your family is in turmoil. Stress causes some dangerous side effects such as bloating (gasp!), headaches (no thanks), body aches, irritability, constipation (eeeek!), lack of concentration, inability to have healthy relationships with others, high blood pressure (my dad), lack of sleep (have enough of that with two small kiddos), amongst many others. Stress can also lead to depression and anxiety, which can worsen the effects of illness and/or disease.

Studies show that we should not only find ways to reduce stress, but we need to figure out what brings us joy to feel our best. What makes you happy? In high school I made a list of what made me happy and I truly enjoyed the process. Try it one day if you find yourself worrying about something you just can't shake. The worst is when people worry about something that hasn't happened - something that could happen. Come on, don't we have enough on our plate? A serving of what could happen could only have a bad side affect. Some people find comfort in stressing out. I personally know someone who does that, my dad, which is the reason why finding ways to reduce stress and creating happiness in my life are things I feel very strongly about. Anyway, realizing ways that bring happiness to our lives will allow us to be grateful for what we have. Being grateful might be the KEY to leading a happier life with less stress.

One "being-grateful" exercise I did recently was I took pictures of everything around my house that made me happy. Our homes are an expression of ourselves. There must be something around your home that evokes pleasure, brings back a happy memory or reminds you of something that once made you happy; like that sky diving picture, or your wedding photo, your comfy bed, a piece of jewelry from your mom, your pet, your high definition flat screen, that beautiful rare piece of furniture that you found at an antique store, your record player (that's my hubby's, Neil), your organization, pictures of family and friends, etc. It's an easy exercise and it truly makes you appreciate where you put your head down every night.

Here are some of my pics:

This was the very first pic I took. I love the color and it reminds me of when Neil and I drove to NYC on NYE for a Wilco concert. We bought it in Chinatown. It's hanging in our kitchen.

This picture is hanging above my stove. It reminds me of the time I went to Barcelona and saw the Joan Miro museum. That experience was surreal, no pun intended.

My yellow pantry doors!!! I'm currently obsessed with yellow. Somehow I convinced my hubby to let me paint them this color.

This is one of my paintings. I love to paint - it brings me so much joy, but I haven't found much time to do it lately.

Images of trees. I just love trees. I love to look out my window and see our tree-lined street and all the foliage, the branches, the animals that run up and down and fly through them. Trees are symbolic of life to me.

My globe. I love to run my fingers through it and imagine myself traveling the world with my family. Traveling is a true passion of mine and I can sense it will be one for my two year old daughter, Stella, as well. She's already having daily talks about how we are going to Africa and going on a safari. Nothing pleases me more.

The vintage"Stella" guitar we bought for my daughter's first birthday. She picks it up and tries to play it almost every day. I love when our six year old neighbor, Livi, comes over and they pretend they are in a band.

Finding my kids' toys in obscure places after they went to bed. It shows me they had a great day playing.

This one's for Neil! I don't know how he convinced me to hang up pictures of the Beatles next to our kids' pics. We like to fondly refer to them as Uncle John, Uncle Paul, Uncle George, and Uncle Ringo.


ahhh...the espresso machine! A couple of these every morning makes chasing around two small kids a whole lot easier!


A souvenir from my honeymoon in St. Lucia. What a beautiful island. It makes me think about laying on the beach, drinking Scorpions, and giggling a lot. Fun times.

Another souvenir, but this one's from Mexico (my momma's hometown!) This one brings back memories of drinking way too much, riding around on an inflatable banana boat, and cracking up with some kick-ass friends.

I randomly painted this LOVE picture and decided to hang it above my door to remind us to always have love and peace in our hearts as we leave our home.

Last, but not least, our garden gnome, Larry II.

The most important thing in my life is my family and the love that we share. My love is so strong, not only for my immediate family, but for the people I call my friends, whom are my family, as well. I urge you to be present and to take a look at your surroundings. What brings a smile to your face? Feel free to share your thoughts and/or photos.

More to come on ways to reduce stress....

A Great Way to Spend a Fall Day

A stoic barn we passed along the way…

Oh, fall-it's the season that encourages us to wear flannel and consume copious amounts of pumpkin and apple-based baked goods. Feeling inspired, I decided to take a day trip to a local orchard where I could don my beloved flannel and gather some apples for a delicious apple pie.

Living in the city, I don’t get as much time as I would like to really submerge myself into nature and am always excited for a day-trip where I can hug a tree or walk around bare footed. All About Apples is a really helpful website with an abundance of information on orchards across the state.

I found Royal Oak Farm in Harvard, Illinois to be quite charming and was touched when I read that they are closed on Sundays so that they can spend time with their families. The hour and a half drive out to Harvard was lovely and scenic-we really felt like we had traveled outside of the bustling city.

Royal Oak Farm was everything that I had hoped it to be as we pulled up the winding drive-I felt a sense of peace immediately flow through me.

If you have little ones, the tractor ride is a fun way to get around through the orchards but we chose transportation by foot-any opportunity I have to walk on actual grass I will take!

It seemed that the rows went on forever...

We asked a sweet lady at the farm which apple she would choose for baking and she said Cortland apples are best because of their balance between sweet and tart. All of the rows of trees are clearly posted with the name of the apple, and marked with a yellow flag if they are ready for harvest.

I couldn’t help myself…

There is nothing like the sound of leaves crunching underneath your feet…

The farm also keeps bees, and offers the all-natural honey for sale in the General Store…stay tuned for more about the art of bee-keeping.

Our finished product after a delightful day in the country.

For delicious organic pie recipes, please visit: Greenopia.com

Is my strive for innerpeace bringing inner turmoil?

I have to admit, after yesterday's post, I began to feel a little apprehensive. Honestly, I let my ego get in the way (bad ego! trying to get rid of it!). I began to think, what if people thought I was trying to be perfect. First of all, we should not care what people think. As Dr.Wayne Dyer says, "You can meet 32 different people and they all will have 32 absolutely different opinions of you, non of which you can control." Nobody's claiming to be perfect here (hello - there's no such thing!). We are simply trying to get on the path of contentment. We all want to be happy. If we were our happiest, then imagine what we could accomplish. We live in a society where ego truly gets the best of us. We think of ourselves too much and are quick to judge. Imagine if our world didn't consist of hatred, jealousy, egos, and the desire for lots of money.

What if our world was more simple? Probably war, poverty, cancer, the desire to bring people down, chemicals, etc. wouldn't be issues that we face today. We are all here to live out our lives to the best of our ability and to help one another. We will all die one day - it's a fact. Why don't we work together, bring one another up and truly work on allowing our best selves to be present. Believe me, this is not the path of least resistance...it's easier to go the other way, but what's the point? Being negative might temporarily make us feel better (misery loves company) but in the long run it hurts us and those around us.

Yesterday was a trying day for me. Not judging or making comments wasn't as easy as I thought but I was able to catch myself. When I found myself on the verge of thinking something that might be considered a judgment, I stopped myself. We CAN control our minds, peeps! I'm going to try MY best to work on this. For MY innerpeace.

The path of contentment isn't a clear one. There are lots of branches to cut through, big obstacles that we must persevere through, and many setbacks that we will encounter; but I'm absolutely confident that once we reach our destination, it will be so beautiful and filled with love, we will never want to turn back. That's why I am on this journey. Why are you?

Passing Judgement

I'm currently reading a great book that I borrowed from my daughter's school, "The Seven Spiritual Laws for Parents" by Deepak Chopra. The book is quite enjoyable and eye opening. One part I found particularly interesting was about teaching our children not to pass judgment on others. Passing judgment is a common practice for a lot of people, but it brings nothing but negativity back to our own lives.

A great way to teach our children not to judge others is by example. Let's all try to go one day without making negative remarks about others. I must include Chopra's words with this post. They are beautiful, simple and inspiring.

"Passing judgement is not part of a spiritual person's approach to life. We all project negativity onto other people, but we do this because we confuse our emotional reactions with reality. If people make us angry, distressed, afraid and so on, we feel that this negativity is their responsibility. Spiritually, the Law of Pure Potentiality tells us that no one can be labeled or judged because life is all possibilities; everything is inside ourselves. Nothing in our nature can be created or destroyed by someone "out there." The very person who makes you angry or afraid can have the opposite effect on someone else. So it is worth setting aside some time to see everyone in the light of love, to hold no judgement, to call no one bad or wrong."

Cloth Diapering-The Real Scoop

As a mom of 2 small children in diapers, I was concerned with the cost factor and the impact it has on our earth. My concerns prompted me to take a cloth diapering class at Be By Baby in Chicago. The instructor was totally gung-ho about cloth diapering-it was almost scary. She made it seem like moms who use "evil" disposable diapers are as bad as those moms who put pop in their baby's bottles. I did learn a lot though and it prompted me to take the plunge and invest in those colorful sacks for poop. Here's the real scoop on how cloth diapering works and you decide if it's worth it for your child and the environment.


PRO- They are super cute! My 2 year old daughter loves all the fun colors. We enjoy hang drying them together and we discuss all the colors as we hang them - a good learning lesson!
CON- It's not so fun scraping the poop off the diaper and let me tell you, my son has a lot of poop! I'm talking 4 times a day. I say I have a very close relationship with my kids' bowel movements. In fact, I found a googly eye in his diaper this morning.
PRO- The new cloth diapers are pretty easy to use. They come with snaps or velcro - no need for pins like the oldies.
CON- They do have a tendency to leak if you leave the diaper on 20 minutes too long. It can get pretty inconvenient if we are hanging at the park or the museum.
PRO- Gotta love the diaper sprayer that helps deposit the poop into the toiliet. This is a must. I cannot imagine this whole process without it.
CON- Sometimes they smell funky if they aren't washed well enough, e.g., not enough water in the machine, which I tend to do often.
PRO- No more stinky diaper pails hanging out in the room! Man, my hubby and I hated that thing. We were elated when we realized we didn't need it anymore and chucked it (actually recycled it)!

Sure some of the pros look like cons masked nicely, but what really assured me was the positive feedback from other moms who cloth diaper. They were all really positive about it. In fact, they all LOVE it. I think it's great too but it's not so glamorous when having to change 10+ diapers a day. On the flip side, the peace of mind you feel from knowing you're not contributing to the smelly diaper mountain, er...landfill., makes it worth the effort. It makes me happy that I could help this Earth stay cleaner. I just wanted to give you the real low-down on this process. It's not always fun and exciting but it's helpful for our children and for our earth.

Here are a few more facts I learned from the class:
-Every baby produces approx 4000+ pounds of disposable diaper waste that ends up in our landfills (whoa!)
-It costs between $2500-$3500 for disposable diapers for one child vs $700 or less ( I spent less than $400 for both of my kiddos), and many can be reused on siblings
-It can take 500+ years for a disposbale diaper to biodegrade if it ever will
-Dioxin, Tributyl-tin and Sodium Polyacrylate are all toxic substances used in disposable diapers
-Washing cloth diapers uses the same amount of water as flushing the toliet 5-6 times per day

Now you tell me, is it worth it?

Bath Time!

A lot of great things start in Europe-delicious wines, wooden shoes, and most recently the Tummy Tub! I haven’t been this excited about a plastic vessel since Caboodles entered the scene…

The Tummy Tub is a natural tub alternative, and appears to be part bucket part flower pot and offers a plethora of benefits for babies from birth up to six months. Much like swaddling, babies feel a great sense of security being confined in this small space and the buoyancy of water encourages motor development. When babies are submersed in warm water, they remember fondly the time spent in the womb. The water stays warm throughout the bath and less water is needed, making this an optimal choice for green families.

Definitely worth checking out!

What is the (inner)peace project?

Greetings Peace Seekers!

Hello, and how do you do? We are Ashley McAllister and Megan Loewe, full time friends (since the fifth grade!) and part time child wranglers (actually, Ashley is a professional momma and wife, while Megan represents the single ladies). We are two urban cowgirls on a mission to exposing the secrets behind true balance of the mind, body, and spirit, while trying to help our planet in our free time.