Happiness Mama

Create the life you want, with mindfulness, purpose, and self-care. Go from striving to thriving!

Meditation: My Story and How to Get Started 20

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Happiness Mama Podcast Episode 20 Meditation

Meditation! In this episode, I tell how a stress-induced panic attack became the catalyst that eventually led to my meditation practice. I share my story of getting started, what it’s actually like to meditate, and how my current meditation practice compares to my first efforts at meditation.

I also explain how you can start a meditation practice in your already-busy life, and I give simple instructions on how to actually do it.

The benefits of meditation are many, and it’s been a huge blessing in my life. I hope you find this episode helpful as you begin or continue your own meditation practice.

Highlights:

  • How a panic attack prompted me to start meditating
  • What it was like then, and what it is like now
  • Gratitude as a benefit of meditation
  • Benefits of meditation, including managing stress and anxiety
  • How to start a meditation practice
  • Shamatha and Vipassana meditation: What are they?
  • Simple instructions on how to meditate

Books and Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

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Three Questions to Transform Your Life

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Three Questions to Transform Your Life from Happiness Mama

1. How will I feel about this at the end of the day?

Recently I was reading a blog post by Leo Babauta in which he talked about thinking about the end of the day as a way to guide the choices we make.

Basically the idea is that before you eat that doughnut or make any decision, you stop and consider how you’ll feel about that at the end of the day.  When you review your day, will you be glad you ate the doughnut?

  • Will I be glad I spent time on Facebook, or will I be glad I got some filing done and my desk cleared off instead?
  • Will I be glad I did at least five minutes of stretching, or will I be happy about deciding that it was just too difficult to do in the moment?
  • Will I be glad I made that phone call that’s been bugging me, or will I be glad I put it off yet again?

I have found this to be really helpful to get perspective on what’s important to me, what I want to do, since it’s so tempting to take the easy way out and do what’s easiest in the moment.

This end-of-the-day mindset is a corollary to another idea I’ve been applying over the past several months.

2. How will I feel about this in thirty years?

When I’m older looking back on this time in my life, how will I feel about what I’ve done?

  • Will I wish I’d made time for exercise so I can continue a joyful, active lifestyle?
  • Will I be glad I followed through on my dream, no matter what the outcome?
  • Will I be glad I worried and stressed so much about something that I wasted hours or days being an emotional wreck?

I don’t think I’ll ever be glad I let worry or stress take over my life.  Life is too short to get THAT stressed out about something. It will be okay.

It’s good to think about things that matter, and natural and good to be concerned, but getting worried and anxious to the point of freaking out isn’t helpful and is potentially harmful.

At minimum, it’s a waste of time. At worst, it can interfere with our relationships and keep us from doing what is needed and important and fulfilling.

3. How will I feel about this in the morning?

When I’m tired at the end of a long day, it can be difficult to make smart choices about how I spend my time.

It would be great to stop for a split second and visualize how energetic and happy and fulfilled I’ll feel in the morning if I get to bed at the time I need to.

  • Will I be glad I spent this time staying up late browsing the internet instead of going to bed and getting good sleep?
  • Will I be glad I stayed up late to watch one more Angel instead of just saving it for later?
  • Will I be glad I read my book for an hour in bed instead of turning off the light earlier?

Sleep is such a critical part of feeling good, being happy, and getting things done. I know I need to make sleep a priority. And even more so since I don’t ever know for sure what time my baby alarm clock might wake me up.

Sometimes we decide to be a rebel.

Sometimes we decide that the best decision this time is to stay up late finishing that awesome novel or watching one more show with the husband. Sometimes we really do want to veg on the computer for thirty minutes. And that can be a good thing.

Sometimes we wish we’d decided differently.

We need to be gentle with ourselves, and just keep moving in the direction we want to go.

Have you used any of these questions in your life to help you make the best use of your time and energy?

Which Shining Academy Membership Is Right For You?

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Are you thinking of joining Leonie Dawson’s Shining Academy? I hope this article will answer your questions and help you decide which Shining Academy membership type is right for you at this point in your life.

Choose the Shining Academy Membership For YOU

Did you know you don’t have to have a business to benefit from being a member of the Shining Academy?

Did you know you can join the Academy and get access to tons of life resources and courses, without paying the full membership price?

Are you thinking of joining the Academy, but you’re unsure about what is included in each membership type, and which one makes the most sense for you and your life, right now?

Read on!

Shining Academy Membership: Two Types

There are two types of membership in the Shining Academy.

One type of membership is Life + Biz Access, which is full Academy membership.

Next there is Life Access Only membership, which includes a plethora of life resources and excludes business and technical resources.

Let’s dive in to learn more about each type of membership so you can decide on the one that’s right for you.

Life Access Only Membership in the Shining Academy

Membership in the Shining Academy includes a wide variety of life programs, courses, and resources to help you in all areas of life: family, spirituality, creativity, health, relationships, home, meditation, and more.

If you don’t have your own business, but you love Leonie and would love to gain access to all of her life resources and trainings, Life Access Only membership may be right for you.

Life Courses, Trainings, and Meditations

Here are some of the life courses and resources included in the Shining Academy. Over 72 life courses, workshops, and resources are available to Life Access Academy Members.

The following list is not exhaustive. These are some of the highlights. Check out Leonie’s website for more.

Personal Growth/Life Courses

Radiant Goddess E-Course
Creating Your Goddess Haven E-Course
How to Be a Morning Goddess
How to Create More Joy In Your Life Mini Workshop
How to Trust Your Intuition Mini Workshop
Healing Goddess Workshop
How to Face Your Fears
7 Life-Changing Habits for an Abundant 2016
How to Find Your Purpose Mini Workshop
Boundaries Bootcamp

Creativity Courses

Creative Goddess E-Course
Intuitive Art Workshop
Mega Colouring Book
How to Create a Mini Retreat
How to Create a Dream Board
The Project Finisher E-Book

Meditations

I Create My Amazing Year Meditation
Best Day Ever Meditation
Divine Dreaming Meditation Kit
Chakra Healing Meditation Kit
Releasing Fears Meditation Kit
Holy Dinger Uber Zennifying Meditation Kit
Instant Uplift Meditation

Shining Academy Life Mastermind

When you join with Life Access Only membership, you gain access to a Mastermind of like-minded women. This is a great community to help you find support, encouragement, friendship, and accountability. The group is very active and is located on Facebook.

What’s Not Included

In Life Access Only Academy Membership, you do not get any of the workbooks or diary delivered to your door as you do with full Life + Biz membership.

However, you do get access to the Life Workbook, which you can download and print yourself.

You also don’t get the business and marketing resources/courses.

What Else Is Included

Discounts to various tools and resources for life and business.
Monthly live coaching calls with Leonie, so you can get 1-1 support.
Regular chances to ask Leonie and other team members questions within the Mastermind (live).

Investment

Your investment to join the Shining Academy with Life Access Only is $197, which is less than half the cost of full Biz + Life Membership.

You can also take advantage of a payment plan. If you choose the payment play, you make four payments of $60 each.

Full Shining Biz + Life Academy Membership

Full membership in the Shining Academy includes all of the life resources plus tons of courses and resources to help you start and grow your business.

Business Courses and Resources

Here are some of the business resources and courses that are included in full Shining Biz + Life Academy Membership. To find out more, visit the Shining Academy website by clicking here.

Double Your Business Intensive
Business Goddess 2.o
How to Hire, Grow, and Keep a 6-Figure Team
How to Market Your Business with Videos/YouTube
SEO Masterclass: How to Get to #1 on Google
Woman Breadwinner: How to Make It Work For Your Family
Grow Your Local Bricks & Mortar Business
Create Your Sacred Sales Funnel
Self-Love in Business
Money Manifesting Course
How to Raise Your Rates Mini Workshop
How to Get and Share Testimonials to Grow Your Business
Creating a Website with WordPress
How to Use Masterminds to Accelerate Your Business
The 7 Chakra Business Model
How to Create Your Standard Operating Procedures
6i Success System

You can read more about my experience in the Shining Academy in my Shining Academy Review.

Shining Academy Business Mastermind

Full Academy membership includes access to the Shining Biz Mastermind. Located on Facebook, it’s a very active community. It’s a great place to get accountability and support, find answers to questions, and find new connections and collaborations.

Workbooks, Planners, Diary, Oh My!

When you join at the full membership level, physical copies of the yearly planners and diary, plus calendar and to-do list are included. Shipping is included as well. This is a great perk of full membership.

What Else Is Included

Discounts to various tools and resources for life and business.
Monthly live group coaching calls with Leonie, so you can get help from Leonie.
Regular chances to ask Leonie and other team members questions within the Mastermind (live).

Investment

Investment in the full Biz + Life Academy membership is $497, or 4 payments (back to back) of $140 each.

What About Customer Support?

I love the customer support team at Leonie Dawson International. They are extremely responsive and just plain nice. I’ve never had any problems with my membership, but I have had a few questions here and there.

Customer support team members are just wonderful. I know that if I have any questions or need help with anything related to my membership account, they’re just an email away and will be happy to help. And as you know, that means a ton.

Which Shining Academy Membership Is Right For You?

Shining Academy

Do you love Leonie? She is an inspiring. uplifting, gifted teacher. If you resonate with her and her work, and you have a business you’re growing or one you’re just starting, I highly recommend considering joining the Academy at the full membership level.

You get all of the awesome business resources, plus you get the life resources, AND the physical copies of workbooks and diary will be delivered to you. That is included in the price of membership.

So if you want to get paper workbooks, this is a good way to go.

If you don’t have a business, but you want to transform your life, then Leonie’s Shining Academy Life Access is a fabulous resource and community of like-minded women.

Financially, the Life Access Only membership is less than half the cost of the full membership. However, if you do have a business or need help to start one, the full membership is a great deal. $497 over the course of one year comes out to only about $41 a month. That’s not a lot to invest in your business and life.

Paper copies of the workbooks and diary are not included in life only access, but you can print out your own copy of the life workbook. I started by printing out my first yearly workbook in 2013. It’s a great way to start.

They both have payment plans, which is great.

They both have access to the discounts, which are one great way to save money on other courses and products. There is also an affiliate program which is fantastic, and a great way to easily make back the cost of your membership simply by telling others about the Academy.

If you have a business, then definitely consider the full membership. It’s definitely worth the investment if you will use it. From courses, to meditations, to discounts, to the mastermind, and the yearly planners… It’s a great investment in your business and your life.

Shining Academy Doors Are Closing Soon

Shining Academy Doors Are Closing Soon

Enrollments will close at the end of this month. Whichever membership you choose, make sure to join before the end of September. Doors are closing, and it won’t open again until sometime next year, 2017.

Let Me Show You Around + Presents!

When you join the Academy using my affiliate link, I have some special gifts for you.

1. A group video chat in November to show you around the Academy and get you off to a great start, so you know where everything is, how it works, and where you personally might like to begin. I’ll also share some tips to help you get the most out of your membership, so you can make sure you get the most possible out of it.

2. My upcoming course, The Self-Care Habit Formula, to help you create habits of self-care so you can feel your best and create the life you want. This is a great course that will empower you and help you feel your best so you can create your best life (and business, if you have one).

3. Optional: Mini Class to help you make back your investment through sharing the Leonie Love (being an affiliate).

What about you? Which membership type sounds right for you?

Questions? Just Ask!

I hope you found this article helpful! Please get in touch if you have any questions about either type of membership or which might be right for you. I know it’s an investment, either way. I’m happy to share my experience and answer any questions you have.

Love,
Heather

Casey O’Roarty: Raising Our Children, Growing Ourselves, 12

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Happiness Mama Podcast Episode 12 with Host Heather Ash

My guest for episode 12 of the Happiness Mama Podcast is Casey O’Roarty of JoyfulCourage.com. Casey is a mama, blogger, podcaster, parent educator, and coach. I love the tagline of Joyful Courage, which is “raising our children while growing ourselves.”

Before our conversation, I knew we had a lot in common, but wow! We are both former school teachers, both have done positive discipline training, both started blogging and then podcasting, both do coaching, both love mindfulness and personal growth, and we also both love the Outlander books by Diana Gabaldon! Wow! Talk about “sisters from another mister!” (Ha ha! I learned that one from Casey.)

I loved hearing about her journey from being a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse in the mountains (really!) to becoming a positive discipline parent educator, and then starting and growing her online business while also growing her family.

We talked about so many topics related to being a mindful mama while also filling our own cups and growing ourselves as people, and how the two are so closely related.

How can we be the parents we really want to be?
Why do we need to nurture ourselves?
How can we deal effectively (without jumping on the “crazy train”) when our children manage to push all our buttons?
And how can we stay tuned in to our values and make time for things like self-care and meditation?

Listen, and find out!

You’ll also learn how getting a tattoo can make you a better parent, and learn about the man who encourages her every time she takes a drive.

I had so much fun talking with Casey O’Roarty, and I think you’ll love this one, too!

Highlights:

  • Teaching in a one-room schoolhouse
  • What it was like teaching while wearing and caring for her newborn
  • How she created a custom position for herself that allowed her to nurse her baby through circle time
  • How and why she started her online business
  • Positive Discipline live training
  • How positive discipline and her work have affected her life at home
  • Casey’s philosophy on why her children are hers
  • The mindset that helps us be the best parents and the best people we can be
  • How child behavior is like icebergs and weeds
  • #JoyfulCourage10, Casey’s free program to support parents in being the parents they want to be, and the unconventional way she’s delivering it
  • How body awareness and small physical changes can shift things in big ways
  • Making sure we have our toolbox in hand when we need it
  • Creating reminders of our truest values
  • What self-care is (and isn’t)
  • A simple way to do your own women’s circle

We can choose something different, quote by Casey O'Roarty, Guest on The Happiness Mama Podcast with Host Heather Ash

Quotes:

  • “The hardest parts of being a parent are the richest opportunities for personal growth” ~Casey O’Roarty
  • “We design our lives. And yes, there are instincts. Yes there are things that show up, but they don’t have to. If it’s not serving us, it doesn’t need to define us, and we can choose something different.” ~Casey O’Roarty

Links and Books Mentioned In This Episode:

Essential Oils!

Happiness Mama is now offering essential oils to support you in your wellness and happiness journey.

You can learn more and get started with essential oils here: abreathofhappiness.com

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Make sure you get all the episodes by subscribing via I-Tunes, Stitcher, or your favorite podcatcher. (Mine is Podcast Addict!)
And you can help me and our mindful mama sisters out by leaving a review on iTunes or Stitcher. More reviews will help me get the podcast to more ears.

How to Subscribe to the Happiness Mama Podcast:

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Sign up below for the Happiness Mama Newsletter and get a free guided meditation to relax and release tension and stress.

Also if you want to join a wonderful community of like-minded women, come on over to the Happiness Mama Community. It’s a free, kind, and supportive community of women consciously creating our happiest lives and encouraging each other along the way.

Thank you so much for listening! I hope this podcast helps you live into your truest values. You deserve happiness!

How to Create a Morning Routine That Works for You

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How to Create a Morning Routine that Works for You
Our mornings really do set the tone for the day, so it makes sense to start it in a good way, in a way that feels true to us and our values. However, if you’re a recovering perfectionist like me, you may have wanted to start a morning routine, but resisted because you felt like it was too hard, or you weren’t sure of the best way to go about it.

Thankfully, it isn’t hard to create a morning routine that works. Through small, simple changes, we can craft a morning routine that will help us start the day in a way that sets the stage for the kind of day, and life, that we want.

In this article I walk you through some tips to create a morning routine that works for you, while also explaining the evolution of my own current morning routine.

1. Think in Terms of Now

One thing I’ve been learning is that while I enjoy having routines, I also enjoy allowing them be flexible.

I’ve come to accept that they won’t necessarily be forever, and that’s okay. In fact, that’s a good thing because our circumstances and our needs change.

And it’s also really good because it takes the pressure off. We do NOT need to create the “perfect morning routine” or one that we are committing to for the rest of our lives. Whew! What a relief.

Lately I’m becoming more and more aware of the normal ebb and flow of life, and of my own energy cycle and moods. This ebb and flow is normal. Change is normal and something that is always there.

So remember, not only does your morning routine not have to be forever, it can’t be. It won’t be. And that’s good!

Feel free to try something and see how it goes. You are not locked in.

Maybe try it for one day, or a few days, or a week… and see how it feels. See what works for you now. For me, thinking this way takes the pressure off, and that helps me to take action.

2. Let Go of Perfection

There is no such thing as the perfect morning routine. You can go ahead and let go of trying to achieve that.

I loved the book Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod, and I found it very inspiring. It’s a great book, and I encourage you to let it inspire you. But just keep in mind that you can do things your way. You don’t have to have all of the elements he has or recommends.

Pick and choose what’s most important to you right now, and what feels doable.

There are days that my morning routine doesn’t happen at all because I end up sleeping in because for whatever reason I was up in the night. And that’s okay.

It’s okay to be human. I’ve found that feeling guilty for not doing things “right” or perfectly is not helpful in starting or continuing new habits.

Being a mother has really taught me to be more flexible, to go with the flow, to accept the truth that I can’t always control everything.

We can be self-compassionate, letting go of any feelings of inadequacy, for example, and celebrating even our smallest moments of success.

Once we have children, we do really have to plan carefully in order to have time and space to focus on our own goals.

For me to have the morning routine I want, I have to wake up before the children. It helps to allow the quiet time to focus, and as an introvert, I need time alone.

Lately I’ve been waking up naturally around 5:00, and I really enjoy it. I usually have my alarm set for 6:00, too, so that at least I can hopefully wake up a little bit before my daughters.

Again, it doesn’t always happen, and that’s okay.

3. Start Small

When I create new habits, it usually helps to start small, such as starting with just one or two different activities, and then I add elements one by one over time.

Starting small helped me start meditating in the morning, which had previously felt almost impossible.

I had always meditated during nap time, but that meant it didn’t always happen. I felt that if I could start meditating in the morning instead, it would be easier to maintain a more consistent practice.

I finally decided to give morning meditation a try, but I started super small, with just 2 minutes. I felt like, I can do anything for two minutes!

So starting that way helped me ease into it in a way that didn’t feel too difficult. And it did make it much easier for me to make sure I did my meditation every day.

4. Get Support

In a happy coincidence, shortly after I began my two-minute morning meditation, my friend and fellow podcaster, Dr. Danielle Eaton, decided to do a Just Breathe challenge in her 4-Dimensional Moms Facebook Group. The goal was to meditate for 10 minutes a day for a month. This was just the motivation I needed to increase my morning meditation time, and I was excited to try extending my time since I had come to the realization that I actually could meditate in the morning. (Yay! So exciting!)

Having daily accountability in that group was powerful. I wanted to make sure I did it so that I could check in and say that I had done it and receive encouragement from Danielle and the other participants. Doing something with other people is highly motivating.

Doing that challenge was a great motivator for helping me consistently meditate in the morning and for longer periods of time.

After that challenge was over, I decided to create a month of Mindfulness and Meditation in my own Facebook group, the Happiness Mama Community. It was so fun to continue the group accountability and motivation, and just having a set place to check in and write down when I’d done it was helpful.

If there isn’t a challenge happening right now that you can join in, you could get a friend to join you and check in daily with each other. Or you could tell someone else or even announce on social media that you’re going to do this, and then check in every day to say you’ve done it.

Accountability is powerful and rewarding, because you have other people to encourage you and help you achieve your goals. Being part of my own Facebook group has been a great source of encouragement, support, and accountability for me.

5. Use Anchor Habits

Something else that helped me to add morning meditation to my morning routine was having an anchor habit to tack it on to. Every morning the first thing I do is make coffee (Sumatra or Caffe Verona!). So making coffee became my anchor habit for morning meditation.

I started doing my 2 minutes of meditation after the coffee started brewing, and I usually stop after it is ready, sometimes before. At times I add “coffee drinking meditation,” where I mindfully sip my coffee for a bit.

After a while, I added another new element to my morning routine, which is journaling.

My meditation is now the anchor habit for my journaling. I enjoy a type of journaling called “morning pages,” described in Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way.

My way of doing morning pages is to just write down any thoughts or feelings I want to express in order to feel clear to start my day. I don’t write any set amount of time or amount. Sometimes it’s just a few lines, sometimes it’s longer. I just write whatever I feel like writing in the moment. There is no pressure of any kind.

It feels great to have journaling as part of my morning routine now, as I had been resisting it for quite a while as a daily practice, but that’s another story. ;)

At the moment, I also have an additional temporary element to my morning routine. I’m doing a course called Your SHEro’s Journey by Rebecca Kane, and it involves listening to energy clearings several times a week. The recordings are around 10 minutes (or less) long, and they’re similar to guided meditations, followed by a little bit of journaling.

So on some days I add this in right after my meditation but before the morning pages.

I am really enjoying this aspect of my morning routine, and I may consider guided meditations after the course is finished.

Next, I check in with my journals–especially my 2016 Diary from Leonie Dawson, and my 2016 Companion, by Rebecca Kane. I am loving using both of these. I use them for slightly different purposes, but without going into detail, they’re a good way to reconnect with my intentions, plans, and goals for the day and the week.

2 Things to Avoid First Thing in the Morning

I’ve learned that there are two things I have to actively avoid first thing in the morning. They are

1. Social Media

and

2. Email

It’s crazy how conditioned we can become to mindlessly checking email or Facebook! It feels like an addiction sometimes, and that doesn’t feel good.

I’ll be honest, the thought often crosses my mind to check my email on my phone in the morning… and sometimes I even do it mindlessly without even realizing it!

It is getting easier and easier though to be aware of this compulsion and actively not follow that urge.

Beautiful Morning

I love having my mornings filled with intention and focus. Having my morning routine allows me to feel more centered and grounded, to start my day my way, rather than to start by “reacting” to incoming information and external tugs.

It feels wonderful to start the day in this way.

What about you? What is your biggest struggle with creating a morning routine that works for you?