|
|
Written Aug., 2008
(Follow me: http://www.twitter.com/Yoga_Mama)
I was skeptical at first, but now Twitter is my golden city. As a busy mom and entrepreneur, I can take a few minutes and digest a handful of posts from my favorite Twitter friends, or post a bite-sized delight about my own day –
Continue reading Be a Model Twitizen: A Twitter How-To
Samhain: Celtic
The word Samhain seems to have come from the word samhraidreadh, which in the Gaelic, the language of the Celts, means “summer’s end.” The Celts divided the year up into two parts; the Winter Half, or Dark Half, and the Summer Half, or Light Half. The Celts considered the day as starting with
Continue reading Origins of Halloween: Celtic New Year, Dia de los Muertos. Fun family activities!
Election Special – Nov., 2008
I have a lot going on in my life right now, as do we all. All of it is an opportunity to achieve a more constant state (or station) of awakening to compassion. One of the largest of my personal challenges to living in my compassionate
Continue reading Generating Compassion for Sarah Palin – Election 2008 Special
Oct., 2008
**This piece was written shortly before the presidential election of Barack Obama, but can easily be carried across to any election, or even to daily life.**
As the election nears, there are questions on everyone’s lips. Whether it’s okay to talk about politics is one of this big ones. My opinion;
Continue reading A Guide to Compassionate Citizenry – Election Year Special
**This meditation is modeled on the loving kindness meditation from Ezra Bayda’s book, Being Zen, and further modeled on many practice for what in Buddhism is called generating bodhicitta.**
This Awakened Heart meditation is designed to encourage awakening, develop presence, and to cultivate compassion. Bring your whole self to this experience, and come fully
Continue reading An Awakened Heart Meditation: Cultivating Compassion
Another run with Beth – Yay Beth! We clocked two miles at:
Beth: 11:09/mile
Lasara: 12:11/mile
Pretty good, I say. Forgot the Red Bull again, and my lungs paid the price. Treated post run asthma attack with Astragalus, Herbal Expectorant Cough, and Yin Chiao. And hot Ovaltine with some extra Malt. Yum. The lungs feel better now.
My shake
Continue reading Update 2.7.10
Do you have serious fitness goals, AND obstacles to overcome in reaching them? Here’s the answer: The Real Sexy, Smart, and Strong by David Patchell-Evans – Wiley – 9/9/09 – BOOK REVIEW
David Patchcell-Evans’s new book, The Real Sexy, Smart, and Strong, is another one of those messages that the universe delivered to me right on
Continue reading BOOK REVIEW – The Real Sexy, Smart, and Strong by David Patchell-Evans – Wiley – 9/9/09
From time to time the home-fires cool. Here are some sure-fire ways to raise the temperature in your personal temple of love!
Man or woman, we all love to loved. We love to be appreciated, showered in praise, listened to, noticed. We love being recognized and worshiped in little and big ways, quiet and loud ones.
Here are some simple steps to gently coaxing those glowing coals of desire to full
Continue reading Heat Up the Home-Fires and Reintroduce Romance – Everyday!
With respect, a clear understanding of the rules, and a whole lotta love for the kids, ex-spouses are redefining family.
Some call it divorce; I call it the “Two-Family Solution.” Assuming your divorce was peaceful and you and your ex have basic respect for one another, there’s no reason not to revel in the benefits the
Continue reading A New View of Divorce; Three Simple Benefits of the Two-Family Solution
Give your loved ones sweetly creative, inexpensive gifts that will make them smile the whole year round! These easy to make, creative, do it yourself Valentine’s Day gifts can be given to your lover, your child, your mother, or anyone you’re grateful for.
For even more smiles, you can make one or more of theses gifts
Continue reading Sweet Valentine’s Gifts that Won’t Break the Bank!
Sunday run with Beth! They say the trail is 6 miles rt, but it is FOR SURE more. Not only that, but pretty brutal up and down, too. We did it though!
Still rockin’ the minimal support shoes. We ran at the lake today (Lake Mendocino) instead of by the house, so no concrete anymore –
Continue reading Update 1.31.10
Give your loved ones gifts that will make them smile the whole year round! These easy to make, creative, do it yourself Valentine’s Day gifts can be given to your lover, your child, your mother, or anyone you’re grateful for.
For even more smiles, you can make one or more of theses gifts with a loved
Continue reading Sweetly Creative D.I.Y. Valentine’s Day Gifts
A Gratitude Altar or Gratitude Shrine gives you and your loved ones a visible reminder of all there is to be grateful for. Creating this altar with family and/or friends can be an act that allows for bonding, as well as an opportunity to focus on the gratitude you all have for each other, and
Continue reading How to Create a Gratitude Altar or Shrine
Gratitude for Talib Kweli, my buddy Jamers and his pushing me on our run today, 5 MILES DOWN on a casual…, for a run on a the roads of my youth – a reminder of how miles were shorter whan I was young’un, even tho my legs were, too. The smell on my skin after
Continue reading Update 1.28.10
A preface for the ladies;
Feel like you want your guy to know a few things about you? Like maybe what you want, and how you feel? If those things aren’t covered in this article, I invite you to write your own note to the man you love, and tell him about your top ten desires,
Continue reading What Women Want – The Ten Secrets Every Husband, Lover, or Partner Needs to Know!
Often my anti-consumerist, smaller footprint, “live simply” self, and my “the kids deserve the joy that materialism so easily delivers”, acquisitive, affluenza-suffering self war with each other.
Especially during birthdays, and holidays. During these special days I, like every other conscious consumer, enter the battlefield of who to buy for, what to buy, and why? And,
Continue reading Gift Buying with Consciousness – A Guide to Compassionate Consumerism
GOOD news; ran just OVER 6 miles (if the signs were accurate…)…
BAD news; I ran the OVER part because someone stole my bag I’d placed, slightly hidden by the trail. I didnt think anyone was crazy enough to be out there today besides me!
GOOD news: I left the keys in the car, not in the
Continue reading Update 1/25/09
In case you hadn’t heard, March 2009 was the month of the 50th birthday of the longest-standing winner of the crown of Most Ambiguous Idol of Women’s Power – BARBIE! March is also Women’s History Month, and International Women’s Day is on the 8th. Irony, or not? You decide.
In honor of the grande dame’s 50th,
Continue reading Happy, Happy Birthday Barbie! (Or, In Defense of the Doll)
Sometimes arguments just happen. And in those moments, anger can flare. Voices are raised. Postures are struck. Positions are held. Of course this never solves
Continue reading Men, Anger, and Arguments; Some Do’s and Don’ts
by Lasára Allen, MPNLP, www.lasaraallen.com
As
Continue reading Seven Steps to Healthy Communication With Your Kids
First, I have to say that I love Lillian. I mean, I really have a lot of love for her. She’s the sweetest, most gentle-touch, fully real, honest transparent aesthetician I’ve ever had the pleasure of sharing time with. She’s responsive to my needs and desires, generous with her time, and honest. She’s also very
Continue reading REVIEW – Day Spa, Ukiah, CA: Lillian’s Medical Spa ROCKS!!!
See below the text box for our other green business policies, and ways that you, too, can reduce your carbon footprint.
We Sell Primarily Green Products, and Our Services are Green, Too
Gratitude Games, our primary product is download only – zero-waste product; no shipping waste, no manufacturing waste.
Telephone-based coaching and teleclasses are a greener option than
Continue reading Doing Our Part to Safeguard the Ecological Heritage of Future Generations
1. Because it’s fun to help create a Twitterwave of Gratitude, and share the love.
2. It increases your visibility on Twitter, and expands your network in the nicest way – you get a whole lot of new friends who are #gratitude enthusiasts.
3. It is a way of offering service to the awakening of the
Continue reading Why Guest Host a Twitter #GRATITUDE Gathering?
http://www.LasaraAllen.com
Okay, I admit it; we bipolar folks can be a real handful. If you have close friends who live with bipolar disorder (BD), you’ve probably had a couple – or more – not-so-easy interactions with them/us.
This is my invitation to walk a mile in their/my shoes.
But before we go further, terms; I choose to say,
Continue reading Bipolar Disorder: …It Sucks.
While Peggy McColl’s The Won Thing may sound like a “Rah rah!” guide to the entrepreneurial pursuit, like many of the books on the entrepreneurial life, this is a much more comprehensive guide to finding, creating and living the life you want - the whole life.
Peggy talks about her confusion about relationships in a real
Continue reading BOOK REVIEW: The Won Thing; the latest from amazing bestseller Peggy McColl
Necklace of Kisses: A Novel
She healed my heart with tears.
SO good. I read this in a 3-hour time span on a Pacific – Atlantic flight, cover to cover. I laughed, I cried, I didn’t care that I was in public.
Francesca Lia Block has offered reading I lusted for since Weetzie Bat. I’m ashamed to say
Continue reading BOOK REVIEW: Necklace of Kisses, Francesca Lia Block
The celebration of this season has roots in the timeless, hidden promise of light and warmth that lives within the dark. Even after the longest night of the year is over, winter still holds sway. But the light does begin its ascent to grandeur and glory in the eternal procession of seasons.
With eyes open to
Continue reading Finding Light in the Darkness – The Reason for the Season
Keywords: — The Answer to the Season’s Biggest Question; Yes, Santa IS Real!, santa claus, santa clause, god, christmas, family, values, generosity, mysticism, children, santa is real, holiday season, hard questions, faith, christmas spirit, jesus, belief , magic, miracles, christmas miracles, question, santa, spirit, babbo natale
When it comes to the delicate matter
Continue reading The Answer to the Season’s Biggest Question; Yes, Santa IS Real!
Recycling is probably the most mentioned, but least effective of the three Rs. Of the four items mentioned above, only the yogurt container can be recycled. And at, that, only at some recycling centers. The shirt and plastic bag are landfill. Over time, the shirt will rot away. The plastic bag will not.
Of all the
Continue reading THE THIRD R: RECYCLE
Reusing is step two; once you’ve purchased an item and put it into circulation, the more times the item is used, the less the overall impact. This is just as true for a plastic bag, yogurt container, t-shirt, or computer.
Of the four items mentioned, only the shirt is biodegradable. And, at that, only truly biodegradable
Continue reading THE SECOND R: REUSE
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle -it’s actually a pyramid, not a circle!
The slogan “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” is in that order for a reason; it makes more sense to envision it as a pyramid than the circular form it’s usually represented as.
Reduce is the foundation of that pyramid. Reevaluating and reducing consumer habits is the best thing we
Continue reading THE FIRST R: REDUCE
Every challenge is an opportunity. The recession is a perfect chance to create a shift in your family’s, and your own, values; a chance to move from want-based, status-based, and impulse spending, to sustainable consumer choices.
Of course, the first step is to that reframe is in shifting your own thought process. In this article you’ll
Continue reading Re-Framing Your Family’s Recession Anxiety to Conscious Consumerism
The Gratitude Place
Grateful Sacred Heart
Gratitude can be a wonderful, large, beautiful part of your living spiritual practice.
Gratitude offers benefits that range from the physical, to the psychological, to the spiritual, and affects both our inner and outer lives. Gratitude practice, in and of itself, bring us into creative co-creation with our personal reality, our
Continue reading The Gratitude Place
The Gratitude Journal is a place where you can come to share gratitude with a grateful community. Hosted by Lasára Allen, The Gratitude Place, and Gratitude Games, there’s a lot of gratitude to go around! So leave your gratitude posts in our comments section. To be continually inspired by the comments others leave as well,
Continue reading The Gratitude Journal
After a few months of happenstance sabbatical, I’m back at elephant journal! Check out my new article here!
I’m very happy to be back! So, get over there and visit, and make my column shine! Your comments (on the elephant journal page) make all the difference.
God is Limitless.
Enjoy some of my favorite quotes on mysticism, metaphysics, and more:
A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This
Continue reading Mystical, Spiritual, Philosophical, Metaphysical, Inspirational Quotes Compiled by Lasára Allen
Wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving.
~ Kahlil Gibran
You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing,
Continue reading Some of Lasára Allen’s Favorite Gratitude Quotes
Gratitude increases health dramatically on all levels; there are health benefits to gratitude on the physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual levels. It’s been scientifically proven that the regular practice of gratitude can improve your level of overall happiness by
Continue reading The Benefits of Gratitude in Family Life
I just found out the 2011 is the 2500th anniversary of the marathon! This is super cool, as my plan is to run a full marathon for my 40th birthday – in 2011! The fact it’s such a momentous occassion makes my goal that much sweeter. (See more on this soon.)
My other piece of news
Continue reading News About Long-Term Goals – the 2500th Marathon Anniversary in 2011! Race as Platform for Bipolar Advocacy & Education.
Photo credit; Khalid Arar Schawabkeh
How to Host a Gratitude Gathering!
by Lasára Allen, MPNLP
1. Choose a date!
What date makes you want to practice gratitude? You can choose Sunday, and have it be your church. You can choose the new moon, and have it be the beginning of a new cycle. You can choose
Continue reading Host a Gratitude Gathering!
The Benefits of Gratitude in Family Life
Gratitude increases health dramatically on all levels; there are health benefits to gratitude on the physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual levels. It’s been scientifically proven that the regular practice of gratitude can improve your level of overall happiness by 25%!
Practicing gratitude with your children encourages both humility and empowerment.
Continue reading The Benefits of Gratitude in Family Life
When funds are tight, giving reminds us of how much we have, and how fortunate we are.
While coming face-to-face with money problems can be a challenging experience, being able to do something about it is a saving grace. Especially for children, a sense of empowerment is a key factor to viewing the global situation
Continue reading Five Ways to Engage Your Kids in Grateful Giving
Robert (the Mr.) just went out to meet the fedEx guy…I thought it was the Mr’s second cashmere sweater (wine colored v-neck! First was a black, double weight), a late delivery from Santa…
But he comes back in and says, “It’s a box of macho.” I was like, “What?” He says “It’s a box of macho
Continue reading Supplements I’m Starting With.
This is my training updates page. And here’s the beginning of my training story:
Update, day two of training: Running with Elk
Completed the scheduled three miles! I had my appendectomy just over a month ago – and haven’t run in well over a month. Even before the appendectomy, I had fallen off the running wagon for
Continue reading Lasára’s Progress Page – Races, Competitions, Goals Long- and Short-Term
A Bodhisattva Meditation for Cultivating Loving Compassion for the Self
by Lasára Allen, www.lasaraallen.com
Gate gate, para gate, parasam gate, bodhi svaha.
The one responsibility of the bodhisattva is to not cause suffering.
The one commitment of the bodhisattva is to love all beings pervading space and time, regardless of any beings ability to return,
Continue reading A Bodhisattva Meditation for Cultivating Loving Compassion for the Self
OM TARE TUTARE TURE MAMA AYURPUNYE JNANA PUTIN KURU SVAHA.
bodhisattva, definition;
n. Buddhism
An enlightened being who, out of compassion, forgoes nirvana in order to save others.
[Sanskrit bodhisattvaḥ, one whose essence is enlightenment : bodhiḥ, perfect knowledge + sattvam, essence, being (from sat-, existing).]
- Answers.com
This Page Offers A Sampling of Many Ways of Engaging with the
Continue reading The Bodhisattva Vow
Click HERE for another beautiful page about the Heart Sutra.
Thanks and credit for this page to: Tom Barrett and www.interluderetreat.com Mantra Mystery
GATE GATE PARA GATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SVAHA!Mantra of the Prajna Paramita (Hint: Gate is pronounced like “gah-tay”)
The mantra of the Prajna Paramita is found at the end of a brief, but classic Buddhist scripture,
Continue reading Gate Gate Paragate Para Sam Gate Bodhi Svaha
A NEW New Year’s Tradition; Give Up Resolutions!
– Try Dedications, Intentions, and WHY NOTs Instead.
by Lasára Allen, www.LasaraAllen.com
Have you made any resolutions for 2010?
Many of us make resolutions – and then fail. Though I have almost always met with success in my new year’s resolutions, I think resolutions come from a somewhat limited, and
Continue reading A New New Year Tradition; Give Up Resolutions!
Things I’m most grateful for from 2009
Getting married to my true and eternal love. It’s for reals, yo! Seriously now, I didn’t think that love like this was possible, and there’s nothing I have loved more to be proved wrong about that. I want to shout it from the mountaintops; TRUE LOVE IS REAL!
Continue reading I’m Grateful for 2009!
Nine of the most awesome products, vendors, or other items I found or was introduced to in 2009:
Sephora; If I had an any credit available, I’d be in trouble because I could easily spend thousands at Sephora.com. Amazing products, great company. As it is, I spend too much there – in the TIME department. It’s
Continue reading These are a few of my favorite things… (Goodbye, 2009!)
Tired of New Years Resolutions? Why Not New Years Commitments, Intetionstions, and Fun?
Have you made any resolutions? Many of us make resolutions and then fail. Many of us make resolutions and then fail. I’m choosing to make intentions and commitments. But always with one cautionary caveat, which I encourage YOU to adopt as well; remember
Continue reading Happy 2010 from Lasára and the Allen Household!
Photo credit; Khalid Arar Schawabkeh
Host a Gratitude Gathering!
by Lasára Allen, MPNLP
1. Choose a date!
What date makes you want to practice gratitude? You can choose Sunday, and have it be your church. You can choose the new moon, and have it be the beginning of a new cycle. You can choose your birthday,
Continue reading Host a Gratitude Gathering!
More Magazine
I’m not 40 just yet, but I already love More Magazine. Written for the 40+ crowd, and unofficially branded as the magazine for women moving into the prime of their lives, I’ve read this mag on and off for a few years.
What seems to be a recent revamp has made More even MORE fun.
The
Continue reading Review – MAGAZINE: More, Meredith Publication Group
Reviews:
Fun for you and yours; product reviews! Reviews will often include giveaways and contests, too. You’ll get many opportunities to learn about great stuff, and possibly end up with some of it in your pretty hands! Reviews include health, bath, & beauty products – family fun & education products – books, magazines, blogs –
Continue reading Lasára Allen’s News & Reviews
When funds are tight, giving reminds us of how much we have, and how fortunate we are.
While coming face-to-face with money problems can be a challenging experience, being able to do something about it is a saving grace. Especially or children, a sense of empowerment is a key factor to viewing the global situation
Continue reading 5 Ways to Engage Your Kids in Grateful Giving
Self-Care for the Holiday Season
Lasára Allen, MPNLP, http://www.LasaraAllen.com
The holidays are upon us. No matter what your spiritual persuasion, you’re probably going to be finding time within this season of cold days and long nights to gather with family and friends, sit around the feast table, and celebrate some light in the darkness. What a
Continue reading Self-Care for the Holiday Season
|
|
|