Archive for the ‘Flow’ Category

Normally my “Kathy Recommends” is about a book or website that I’ve found helpful.  I begin this  e-zine with three website recommendations because of the dire need of our fellow world residents in Haiti.  The devastation does not need further description; I am asking that you share some of your good fortune at a time of horrendous suffering for Haitians by clicking on the link of your choice below to contribute money for the life-saving supplies that are desperately needed.
 
American Red Cross
Unicef USA
Care
 
Thanks,

Now that I’m settling into my life in Florida, I am really appreciating how at ease I am here and how much I am energized by my surroundings.  I am truly home.  I want others to experience similar tranquility about where they live and how they are living their life.  I also appreciate efficiency and getting the most out of every precious moment we have each day, so I began to ask myself, “What would be the most fundamental, useful and reasonably doable life practices that could help someone be the healthiest, happiest, most fulfilled person possible…especially given the crazy pace of life for so many of us?  How could we have our most robust life?

We’re bombarded with so many ideas on how to be a better, smarter, happier, richer, prettier, healthier – you name it – person….Which way do you turn?  Who do you believe?  Who has exactly the right answer for you?  It can be confusing and overwhelming.  I’ve done a lot of research about a lot of life issues and the conclusion I came to years ago is that I can take in all kinds of good stories and good advice, but it’s only by checking in with myself – keeping communication open with my intuition and my personal values – that I can make sense of all the input in a way that will be useful to me.  Context is key.

So how do we live the life we want, keep our stress low and energy high, and get the most out of each day – both personally and professionally?  I call it maximizing your “daily effectiveness”, and it begins by looking inside, getting clear about your core values and engaging in positive life practices that can be maintained consistently with a small investment of time, thought and intentional action.  Over the coming months I’ll share a variety of tips and resources on how you can increase your daily effectiveness; you decide what feels right for you. 
 
This e-zine comes to you just once a month; if you’d like to learn even more, you can receive my weekly blog posts with additional tips, resources and timely updates by clicking here  to get the RSS feed.  Talk to you again soon!
 
KB

 Greetings,

I hope you’re enjoying the summer as much as I am – it’s warm (which I love as a Florida native), the birds and butterflies are enjoying my beautiful gardens, and I’m having fun with several projects.  Because there’s so much going on, I’ve decided to send you my e-zine once a month and send other updates and information occasionally that could be useful to you – stay tuned.
 
Recently, I had the opportunity to experience something very different and very special – natural horseback riding – and I wanted to share the experience with you.  I was introduced to it by Natural Horsemanship Trainer Kirsten Willey.  She is also known as a horse whisperer.  She rides bareback and uses no bits with her horses – only soft rope bridle and other minimal, soft gear.  You can see her pictured here with Mickey, the horse I rode.

She gave me a lesson on staying in the flow with the horse, since the gear was minimal and her horses – and their riders – are trained in gentler persuasion than traditional horseback riding. 

To help me get the feeling of natural riding, Kirsten related to me a Native American tale about two riders who traveled for years by horseback on a quest.  By the time they returned home, their lower bodies had grown into their horses, and they became, literally, one with their horses.  That’s the sensation she encouraged me to feel as I rode…and it worked!  If you are fascinated by natural horsemanship and would like to know more, you can reach Kirsten at scooterdoggies@hotmail.com.  For more on flow, keep reading.

To living with ease, 

After my horseback riding experience, I spent some time thinking about how being in the flow of life can positively affect our lives.  We are calmer, more focused, more at peace with ourselves and the world.  We experience the ultimate flow when we are following our passion, doing work and other activities that we love.  I ask clients a couple of questions that are helpful for discovering their true passion and flow:

• What would you do, even if you weren’t getting paid for it?
• If you had all the money you could ever want, how would you spend your time?

Why are these questions important?  Because when you are doing what makes you happy and fulfilled, you will most easily find your flow.  You will be inspired to get up out of bed, excited about what the day may bring.

When I worked with a client recently on how life is so much easier and enjoyable when we are in our flow and not forcing things, the personal experience he came up with was drumming.  When he forced it, it was hard to play and didn’t sound as good; he said by letting go, he could finally feel the flow.

How does this relate to everyday life?  Once you know how it feels to be engaged in something effortlessly, you can cultivate that feeling at other times, as well.  Then, when something unexpected or unpleasant happens, you have a choice: you can either focus on what happened, all the bad details – stirring up and continuing to feed negative emotions, such as anger or regret – or you can acknowledge the sad, unfortunate or surprising situation, consider how you could respond in a productive way, and then refocus on whatever brings you back to center – to your sense of calm and flow.

I get into my flow, especially, in my coaching and when I’m doing other favorite activities like t’ai chi, cycling, walking, swimming, dancing and gardening. Without effort, my breathing becomes deep and regular, I am relaxed and my thoughts and movements come with ease.  By remembering that feeling at other times, I have learned how to bring on that state by focusing on my breath and my energy center in my body’s core.

Get Into Action
Think about an activity where you can get into your flow.  What is it about that activity that does it for you?  Can you recall that feeling you had when you were doing it with such ease?  What would it take for you to call up that feeling at other times?  Is it a certain way of breathing?  Is it the way you are moving?  Is it some sort of visualization that gets you into that flow?

Once you’ve pinpointed what puts you into your flow, practice bringing on that same feeling in everyday life – in your office, on a walk, or perhaps having a meal.  Once you’ve gotten the hang of this, you can begin using this technique to get into your flow in more stressful situations.  Have some fun with this – it can really make a difference in your day.