Sometimes the moment is right, here and now to capture the essence of 'being', taking a pause moment.

Enjoying a moment

It’s Autumn Equinox September 21st or there arounds. You can hear the wind rustling through the trees. I’m taking what I describe as a pause moment, to just be … amongst the trees and with the sun filtering through. There’s the distant sound of people’s voices and Geese. So come spend a few minutes with me as I walk the path on a Fall day. Enjoying a moment. A pause moment.

There are times when I feel truly heart centered, coming from a place of loving kindness with the work that I do. This I felt when Helping a client overwhelmed with grief with decisions on what to keep, what to give away and creating a serenity space in her home, ready for staging to sell and moving on with her life.

I assisted a client who was needing help with getting her property ready for staging to sell. She's creative and musical and recently lost her husband and soul mate. There were so many ornaments, photos and artifacts, memories of him and their beautiful life together. She had decided to sell and the first part of this process was to sort, organise and clear some parts of the house in preparation for staging photographs.

This emotionally loaded activity is an important part of the transitional process. The grief of both loosing a loved one and for yourself moving from one home to another. The client told me she was overwhelmed with it all and needed my assistance.

I delight in helping people create a serenity space. Areas which are mindfully dedicated to honoring someone, something, maybe an event or an intention of one's life in the future. I work in a compassionate way.

From my part I provided active listening. As we worked together, making choices with the individual items, she shared with me how grief had affected her, what changes there now were in her life and her intentions for her new life.

Transitions, life's turning points, key events marking our journey. The process of deciding what to keep as special, bringing us joy and good memories. Or things we no longer enjoy despite their financial value, or nostalgic attachment. Items we've kept 'just in case' yet that day never happened and deciding now to dispose of them  . Every item has energy. Every decision takes energy. Each physical movement to pack, place in the recycling box, or collection of items which will be passed onto a new owner. We forget how much emotional and physical energy is expended with this process, whether you're doing it alone or with a friend/professional.

I spent the day helping her pack those special ornaments away, memories that will be unpacked and displayed afresh in her new home. Listening to her wonderful stories of life together, over tea and biscuits sitting on the balcony with birds chattering near by.

This is one way I work creating Serenity home spaces taking pause moments, soothing you into the embrace of now.

Client's response:

" Thanks again for your invaluable assistance today. It was the momentum I needed to get the ball rolling out of the unstuckness as I  had felt so overwhelmed."

Try this episode for 'size', pun intended! Body self confidence dealing with perfection, is it just looks, an elusive goal or wabi sabi?

Watch me on Youtube as I discuss downsizing and moving home, how to deal with this without getting overwhelmed

Moving home, downsizing emotional stress overwhelm? How to deal with this transition  

If you are ready to create a serenity, sacred space and would like my assistance I work online and in person. For more information look for me on LinkedIn Linzi Naturally Linzi

www.naturallylinzi.com  @naturallylinzi

#morespace #overwhelm #overwhelmed #griefprocess #toomuchstuff #stuffoverwhelm #serenityspace #creatingsacred #sacredspace #lifeturningpoint #unstuckness #memories   #lovingkindness #slowliving #packingup

In the winter time and we like the comfort of staying nestled inside. Let me encourage you to embrace the rain, the coldness and traditions surrounding Winter Solstice. In this episode I introduce winter solstice and the tradition of collecting holly and ivy. These examples of evergreens represent life as it flourishes through this season of shorter days and longer nights. The transition towards the Spring. 

If you think there's too much focus given on the glitz and glamour of Christmas, try stepping outside sitting by a tree and do a Pause Moment  with divining cards. In the Pause Moment for this episode I use the example of The Wisdom of Tree Oracle, inspirational cards for wisdom and guidance by Jane Struthers and illustrated by Meraylah Allwood. Jane says "Reconnect with the natural world and discover your true sense of self." 

In my personal Serenity Space (www.naturallylinzi.com) at home I display and refer to seasonal cards by the artist Wendy Andrew www.paintingdreams.com. Serenity Spaces are divine sacred areas dedicated to something we cherish, or wish to intent within our life. The Solstice is an ideal time of year to take a moment for self care and mindfulness of who we are, what we are grateful for and what's right in the world! 

I ask you to ask yourself 'WHAT'S GOOD IN YOUR DAY'? 

As part of gifting I offer free to download Pause Moments cards from my site with no obligation. (www.naturallylinzi.com)

Do check out my other podcast episodes, all that good stuff of liking, reviewing and subscribing. Or I'll think I'm only speaking to myself!!

I believe in quality rather than quantity and Wabi Sabi. @naturallylinzi on Instagram

As an unabashed self promotion ... if you are an author wanting to have an audiobook or producing a video or audio training courses and seek a voice. Click here for profile, Contact me direct and see my profile on ACX as Linzi Martin Naturally Linzi 

Zoom-aholic! Healthy Smoothie Pause moment make from what's in my kitchen

Smoothie Making for fun and health from what's in my kitchen

Here's to having creative fun experimenting with ingredients to make a healthy based smoothie that you can drink straight away or store in the fridge for later.

Taking time in this way is a form of Pause Moments, one of my short senses based mindful meditation techniques to refresh the mind and calm the emotions.

Smoothie making is a good distraction from an intense period of work or just as a reset in your day.

I don't make any claims that this is going to make you a healthier person and for some people the ingredients may not suit them. Feel free to substitute ingredients for what works or suits your taste and preferences or values.

List of ingredients. For a more detailed explanation of the ingredients, their health benefits and tips on using go check out www.naturallylinzi.com .

Tasting notes:

Delicious. Delightful colour from the raspberries I'd describe as Damask Dusky Dark Rose. Not too runny consistency, partly due to the flax seeds absorbing some of the liquid. And if left overnight the consistency would thicken more. Just a slight protein powder taste and not too over powering.

Enjoy experimenting with ingredients and blending smoothies as a Pause Moment in your day and for overall health. 

Let me know your favourite ingredients that you use in your Smoothie and if you have any tips to share. 

Which do you prefer frozen or fresh fruit? 

Nuts for your smoothie, do you prefer natural, salted or roasted?

Life is often too full up and messy. I explore how to live life with more awareness and delight. Tips and techniques for a slower lifestyle on www.naturallylinzi.com 

There are free Pause Moment cards to download. 

Subscribe to Alchemy email to keep in touch and be part of this growing community. https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/c7b8s5

The theme of this episode is also understanding the benefits that  quality rest gives us in dealing with traumas in your life and in these  times of uncertainty and change. Change brings both uncertainty and the  potential of possibility. How can we support our sensitive self during  changing times using rest.

My guest is Allison Marlowe. In 2014 Allison suffered her second  major burn out. Her life up til then appeared to the world as having  ‘made it’, with all the signs of a good life. Then she lost both her  business and marriage. She had been a business coach and successful  founder of Global Winning Women, a networking and connections  organisation.

Her recovery journey back to health took 4 years. During this time  she learned about the effects of life’s traumas and how they go into the  body. Often without us being conscious to this. Effecting us physically  and also mentally. In 2020 we have all been affected by a global  trauma. Allison offers us a way to dissolve these traumas as she  describes the benefits of experiencing quality rest.

Allison Marlowe is the founder of The | Art | of | Pause, a sensory focused approach to  living, that uses the intelligence of the body to release layers of  physical, mental and emotional exhaustion and also trauma. She draws on  her previous career in teaching and extensive training in coaching,  mentoring, NLP, trauma awareness, movement practices, body work and Yoga  Nidra to help her clients to slow down embrace the full range of human  emotion and savour the experience of being fully alive.

This conversation is covered over two episodes, watch out for the  next installment.  You might like to check out this other episode in  this podcast. Eps Pause Moments For You. Why? Slow down, balance mind body, senses mindfulness meditation

Pause Moments mindfulness meditation has become really popular.  Meditation has been adapted into many variations from it’s original  roots of traditional Hinduism and Buddhist spiritual practices and yoga.  I consider mindfulness as being part of all spiritual life no matter  what the beliefs. Pause moments are aligned with mindfulness practice.

If you experience one or more of the following states then do listen  to this episode. To hear more about pause moments. How they form part of  conscious slow living.

Describing your life as rushing around, with too much to do and too  little time. Feeling irritated, impatient and self critical or critical  of others. You becoming frustrated at minor things. That you are not in  control. You have self doubts and that gloomy dark cloud comes by to  visit one too many times.

Practicing pause moment mindfulness meditation enables you to make  more healthful, heart-centered decisions. The techniques assist in  bringing your mind and body back into balance to equilibrium. You’ll  find it easier to take life slower. An additional bonus is developing  Being kinder to yourself. Something which is very much needed in the  world. Self compassion is learned. In this podcast episode I describe  Pause Moments mindfulness meditation and why the practice is beneficial.

I reveal a little about my own character and why, as the originator  of pause moments, these micro mindfulness techniques has changed how I  lived my life, for the better.The Pause moment sequence at the end is a  senses self awareness, we focus on listening, smelling catching the  scent on the air and breathing.

At the BiL Conference my presentation was Micro Mindfulness Pause  Moments for Support of a Life Work Balance. I explained to the audience  what pause moments are. That the practice is beneficial to your mental  and physical wellness.  Watch the BiL talk here on Youtube

I enjoy hearing from you what changes you’ve made in slowing your life down and taking pause moments. Let me know

What makes a perfect body? What is that exactly? Is it just looks or health? Is it simply an elusive goal?

In this podcast episode I consider and muse over what is perfection?  Who gets to decide what the perfect body is? I was inspired to talk  about this subject after hearing a panel discussion. ‘Perfectibility of  the body’ was the name given to the cultural arts discussion panel at  The Festival of Science and Arts, in London UK. The panel included  Alison Lapper, who is the well known outspoken disabilities artist advocate and the writer and poet Michael Horovitz.

Alison Lapper said, “in my eyes I’m in the perfect body”. What a powerful statement of body confidence.

Plato and Aristotle, the philosophers from ancient Greece, stated  this about perfection. They believed there could not be a perfect  anything. This perfection relates to a colour or a book or a breast.  What a relief that is then! Aristotle wrote “that is perfect that has  achieved it”.

I wonder if in our culture we are being overly perfectionist in how  we do things. Considering what makes a perfect body. Whether wabi sabi  would be a more gentler approach to how we view the body and almost  everything.

In the episode I provide a list of the practical ways we can help  ourselves to becoming or maintaining healthy and happy in our body and  mind. It’s not rocket science and it’s not perfect body!

For the Pause Moment in this episode I guide you into taking a quiet  moment for yourself. I use the power of positive words and visuals to  relax the body and mind. To include the letting go of being perfect. We  can become our own cheerleader towards living a life we feel comfortable  with.

I enjoy hearing about how you dealt with a situation that initially  required perfection on your part. How you stepped aside from the stress  of perfection and created your own wabi sabi of the situation. You can  subscribe to my email list to hear about my new episodes, articles and  other subscriber only events.

Moon cycle and summer solstice offer zen calm mind for burnt out women professionals

In this episode I interview Natalie Shaul. She is a life coach for  burnt out women from a professional background. Natalie utilises the  energy of summer solstice, the expansion energy and the moon cycles to  assist her client’s wellness.

Natalie is one special person! After living a normal corporate life  of stress and overachieving she burnt out emotionally and physically  several times. Her recovery journey has helped inform her and inspired  her to help other women in a similar position.  As a lifestyle coach she  helps burnt out women professionals. To wake up with mental clarity.  And with physical wellness being ready to seize the day.

It’s June and the time of Summer Solstice. I invited Natalie to  acknowledge that the underlying earth energy is the peak of expression.  Mid summer there’s a feeling of expansion. It’s an ideal time for moving  forward with our projects. Solstice is one of the fire ceremonies of  purification and setting intention. We started with a ritual of ‘jumping  the flames’. A simple ritual was to lite a candle as we let go of self  judgement, criticism and self doubt. These might be the same limiting  beliefs that affect other professionals women who are burnt out and  artisan women.

Natalie explained  how she’s been exploring the moon’s phase. Sensing how changes in the  moon cycle affect the ebb and flow of her life physically, emotionally  and mentally. By using ritual and intention to release these. Including  letting go and manifest aspects of her personal and business life. This  is similar to what I use in creating Pause Moments For You.

As Natalie is building her own business and has many projects on the go, I asked Natalie how  she managed her own time. She said being aware of balancing her time.  Plus structuring what she does in her day and week to allow time for  business and time out for herself. We become better coaches for our  clients as we learn from our mistakes and self care journey.

I’d like to hear from you …

Those who work a job purely for income, who’s real passion is their own sustainable artisan business.

If you are seeking ways to find your mojo and are curious on how to bring the sacred into their home and life.

Send me a message

In this episode I’m in conversation with my guest Dilyana Mileva who  is the founder of Dilyana Yoga. She’s a private Yoga teaching in  Vancouver Canada and online.

Dilyana’s mission is “To empower and uplift  woman in midlife to live  their lives in purpose, power and passion. By providing an environment  conducive to their healing and growth.”

She also offers Rise Above Menopause as an online course for woman  40+. The course teaches you how prepare to go through menopause so to  keep you balanced and to feel happier, and you’re more relaxed and  healthier. I think we all wish for that as we go towards our magical  years.

Jumping the summer solstice fire at home. A simple technique to let go of your Resistance to change.

I welcomed Dilyana at this time of mid summer solstice when the  underlying energy is the peak of expression and expansion.  Because   Solstice is one of the fire ceremonies of purification and setting  intention it’s the ideal time for moving forward with our projects.

We started the conversation with a ritual of ‘jumping the flames’  represented by our desktop lite candle. Dilyana was letting go of things  that no longer benefit her because they were holding her back.  As well  as letting go of the resistance to change. I’m sure many of us   struggle with. Resistance to change can affect sensitive, creative and  artisan women. At summer Solstice we are clearing the way for the new to  come into our life.

Dilyana explained that in menopause the women’s spiritual aspect  becomes stronger. To encourage this and for hormone balancing she uses  pranayama yogic breathing. Other techniques are meditation, menopause  yin yoga and holistic health techniques.

I was curious to hear about hand reflexology with breath work.  Dilyana uses these techniques to help calm the mind ready for sleep. We  also chatted about going inside ourselves to find a greater sense of  peace for spiritual connection.

What’s good in your day?

I ask my guests what’s good in your day? Dilyana was enthusiastic  about her yoga practice outside because on the ground it feels grounding  and uplifting. Outside yoga starts her day off with a feeling of  relaxed calm

Dilyana online:

Dilyana’s private yoga and online group and Dilyana’s Holistic Academy

I’d like to hear from those of you who work an unfulfilling job  purely for income, who’s real passion is their own creative sideline,  side gig, sustainable artisan business.

You feel your life is lacking the sacred, spiritual and deeper  connection for yourself and your home especially with all the life  events and transitions you’ve experienced. Send me a message

Our home environment offers serenity sacred comfort for those of us  who are curious creatives, ENFP personality, who struggle getting easily  stressed and overwhelmed.

I talk about canine loss felt by intuitive introverts. Creating a  home sacred space for a celebration of life for your dog and beloved  pet.

During a transition period recognised as a life turning point event.  We can use this time… to define or redefine … ourselves. With all life  event changes there’s a key re-direction or re focus on the things that  affected that life change.  For example: bereavement or relationship  changes.

One approach to working with life changes is in using a form of  ritual or ceremony, adding a visual display. As a way to acknowledge the  current situation. Creating a meaningful altar or display for what we’d  like to have now. As well as for a new vision of our life going  forward. I call this creating a serenity or sacred home space.

In this episode I explain how I create a serenity sacred space to  celebrate the death of a beloved dog. The process can be used for all  pets. Introvert intuitive and pet loss. We feel deeply affected by a  loss and bereavement. We may view this as another life event which only  adds to the overwhelm and feeling of un-fulfilment felt in one’s life.  The process of creating a serenity space enables you to be more  connected. To be more engaged with the transition of the departed one’s  onward journey. I Describe How to create a ceremony and sacred place. To  be an expression of remembrance, appreciation, love, honouring and  initiate healing in the midst of grief.

This episode’s Pause Moment senses-based mindfulness uses breath and  self affirming, evoking the stillness and patience of a mountain. For  you to feel steadfast and resilience in times of life change  transitions.

How have you honoured and celebrated your beloved pet companion?

What have you created as a special space and way to celebrate the  life of your departed pet? Share your process in the comment box below.

I love working with individual clients to mentor and co-create with  them sacred spaces and simple rituals. To enable fulfilling an emotional  emptiness or dissatisfaction within their life. These interior (and  exterior) decorated spaces are defined by what is placed there. With the  intention of evoking experiences which include joy, honouring, calm  reflection and positive intention.

References:  Guru Prem Singh Khalsa www.DivineAlignment.com