5 Fun Activities To Enjoy Mother Nature

What is it about nature that lightens the mood and lifts the soul?

It is the connection to the Divine.

It is the miracle of life that surrounds you.

It is the full on sensory feast for your heart.

There is life all around you, life where you cannot see it. There is a part of you that can sense it and without you even knowing it you are able to connect to that life force and charge your battery.

Plug into nature and unplug from technology, stress, “shoulds” and “have to’s”. Spending time in nature is like a reboot for your soul.

Here are 5 fun activities you can try that will get you out and enjoying Mother Nature.

 

1. Go on a nature scavenger hunt. Get small. Look around for little bits you can collect and bring back to a sacred place in your home. Small pebbles that can be displayed together in a dish, sticks can be taken home and painted or used in your garden, and dried pods, seeds, or leaves can be collected and displayed. Swap out your mini collection each time you venture out into the wilderness.

2. Go on a photo safari. Take your camera or your cell phone out and see your surroundings with different eyes. Try to capture the mystery and beauty through the lens of your camera. Look for interesting angles, different shapes, or new worlds you may have missed if you walked through without your camera.

3. Explore during different parts of the day. You may live in an area that doesn’t’ have a wealth of natural areas to visit and going to the same place all the time may begin to feel monotonous but taking your excursions at different times of the day will create a different experience. Try dawn, early morning, midday, dusk and evening for unique experiences.

4. Take a sensory vacation. Sit in silence for as little as a minute or as long as an hour and allow your senses to be filled. Start with what you can see. Look at colors, textures, and pattern. Move onto what you can hear, what you can smell, what you can feel, and what you can sense? Soak it all in and take a moment to write down your feelings and experiences as inspiration at a later date if you wish.

5. Play! Remember when you were a kid and being outside was enough? You could create whole worlds and experiences for yourself. Go out into nature thinking like a child and see if it changes the experience for you. Run, jump, climb, wade in the water, stack rocks, play catch with another person. Be young and carefree and see how that changes the experience for you.

No matter how you interact with nature this summer, just go out and do it. Fill yourself up with the goodness and the magic of Earth’s energy and see what a difference it makes for you.


xo
Michelle

How Often are You Missing the Beauty That is All Around You?

By: Michelle

 

 

I’ve always wanted to live in Hawaii. To me it is the ideal place to call home. When I visit the islands I am transported to what feels like a magical state of being. It begins the moment I step foot off the airplane and breathe in the air…it’s just different. I feel at peace there and I spend every moment I am there in this state of gratitude and presence because I want to take it all in.

Several years ago I was absolutely obsessed with wanting to move there. I bought a book about relocating there and spent inordinate amounts of time researching islands, homes, neighborhoods, prices, schools…you name it, I was learning about it.

I also told just about everyone I ran into that I wanted to move to Hawaii. I would lament about the cold climate I lived it and dream about how wonderful my life would be if only I could make the move.

One day when I was talking to a woman and boring enlightening her with my incessant talk about Hawaii she said something that made me think. She said that it’s so wonderful when you visit Hawaii but if you moved there you would have to go to work, take the kids to school, clean the house, and have your busy life there and pretty soon you would stop appreciating the beauty of the place.

Whoa! What? I never thought about it like that. I can’t say 100% agree with everything she said because I do think it is possible to make life-style changes that will allow a person to stop living that “busy life” but it got me thinking.

How often was I missing the beauty that was happening in my own little neck of the woods? How often was I rushing to drop a child at baseball or basketball and hurrying to get the laundry done that I stopped even noticing what was happening in front of my eyes.

I started looking. I looked out the window and saw the tree in my front yard ablaze in rich red and orange tones. How long had that been like that and how did I miss it? I paid attention to the snow in the winter and saw the patterns the wind made. I noticed the wildlife that visited my house everyday and the sunsets that lit up my sky.

Just the other day I was in the car with my youngest son Aidan and we were driving to his soccer practice. We drove by a tree that looked like a fluffy white cloud, filled with fragrant blooms and I pointed it out to him. He said, “Yeah mom, I love that Bull Run is lined with those trees. It looks so cool!” and then we sat at the stoplight admiring the tree.

It was a great moment that we shared and it got even better when this bright red bird flew into the white tree. I had never seen a bird like this. The only red bird I have seen in our area is a cardinal and this wasn’t a cardinal. We both sat and watched that bird hop around branch to branch framed by the delicate white blossoms of the tree and it was magical.

If I were rushing to soccer practice and staring straight out my window, I would have missed that bird and I would have missed the brief display of those trees. I would have missed that special moment with my boy. But instead I looked. I saw the beauty that was there for me. 

Funny thing is, ever since I started this practice, I haven’t had the need to move to Hawaii. I’m content. I’m grounded and I live in the beauty that is here in the Midwest. Crazy!

I invite you to take a moment to see the beauty wherever you are today. If you live in the city, look at the buildings, signs and windows with new eyes. Look at the bark on the tree or the grass in the field. Look for little flowers, bugs, or interesting weeds. Look at the faces of your loved ones and see each freckle and crease and open your heart to the beauty of it all.

xo

You Can't Always Eat Life's Veggies!

By Michelle:

I remember when I was a new mom and learning how to care for my babies. There was so much to learn, so much to do and be aware of. I remember learning about how to feed toddlers and how they can be finicky. One day they love something and the next, they hate it. The important thing I learned was that as long as they were getting a balanced diet over the long haul, they were OK.

It was a hard concept to embrace because as a mom you want the best for them and you think that veggies at every meal is the most important thing you can do for their diet and yet the reality is that it just isn’t always possible. Looking out over the month or 6 months to see that maybe they didn’t eat what you wanted that week but they made up for it the following week was a very important lesson for me.

I think this way of thinking actually applies to all areas of our lives when it comes to trying to find balance. We seem to want to strive for this idyllic life that is perfectly balanced each and every day. We want to exercise the perfect amount, eat the perfect amount, take time for self-care, nurture our children, our houses are perfectly clean, we nurture our friendships, volunteer, and…the list goes on and on.

The reality however is that sometimes we just can’t eat our veggies! Everyday isn’t going to be perfect. Some days we may be lacking in self-care or our house is a mess and we haven’t talked to our friends in weeks because we are too busy.

Sometimes we have deadlines or commitments that we have to honor and other things have to be put aside for the time being and guess what, it’s OK. Our lives are like the earth’s seasons and each season has its own energy and is designed for a specific thing. We aren’t meant to plant vegetables in the winter and we can’t always accomplish the things we “think” we “have” to.

This is where I think it is so important to have a strong foundation for what your priorities in life are. What is most important to you? What are your intentions for your life, your family, your work, your social life? Once you know what you can and can’t live without, you are able to make choices based on what is best for you in the moment.

I think the best way to do this is by learning to turn inward. I know we talk a lot about this here at Inner Alignment Mandalas and I think it is crucial. Time and time again when I am working with people and I see that they begin to incorporate this idea into their lives; things magically begin to happen for them.

It is through establishing a relationship with yourself that you will be able to live your life aligned with your highest calling and sometimes that might mean sprawling out on the couch and watching a movie. It might mean staying up late to work on something because you are so inspired and it might mean turning off your phone and having a quiet night at home with your family. It might mean all of those things…over a period of time…spread out to where you might not even realize that you are living a life of complete balance for YOU.

Personally, I’m hitting my busiest time of the year and in the past I let myself get completely stressed out about how I was going to handle it and get everything that needs to get done. But now I don’t feel that same stress. I know what my priorities are and during this time of the year they are different then they are in the fall or the winter. That’s my life and while I have been known to complain about it, I wouldn’t change it so now I am embracing it.

This is such a powerful practice, one I would like to invite you to bring into your life. Spend some time going inward to get clear on your priorities and your intentions for your life. I have been using my I AM Love Mandala to help me get centered and tune into the energy of self-love. This has helped me be gentle with myself and forgiving when my days don’t unfold the way my thinking mind would like. If you haven’t downloaded the I AM Love Mandala, I would like to encourage you to do so and use it daily. It can be just 1 minute of focused attention that can change everything. I also took a picture of it and put it on my phone so I can look at it when I’m sitting out in the 30 degree weather watching a baseball game. Woo hoo! I love spring!

TV and Mandalas? Yes, They Can Go Together.

By: Michelle

 

I have always been attracted to mandalas. It started long before Jill and I got together to start Inner Alignment Mandalas. I used to doodle them, paint them onto rocks, and create them in glass tile mosaics. I've also used them for healing purposes in my intuitive paintings and in my emotional release work. There is just something soothing about the circular form that appeals to me and draws me in time and time again.

The thing about mandalas is that they can be anything you want them to be. They can be geometric, symmetrical, colorful, free flowing, dark, light, expressive, inspirational, or even ugly. They can be made with paint, pencil, tile, photographs, words, yarn, scribbles, sand, flowers, or other earth materials. There are no limits with mandalas.

Last week I was watching Panache Desai on Oprah's Super Soul Sunday and jotting down quotes and thoughts that resonated with me. This is something I like to do with many of Oprah's shows. One of my learning styles is kinesthetic so writing helps me learn and I've been doing this for ages. If you ever have a phone call with me, just know that I am writing things down and doodling the entire time. :o)

They started out talking about the Soul Signature and I felt like it was the anchoring sentiment for the conversation so I put it right in the middle of my mandala and worked outward. I added things here and there and just had fun with it.

I love the vibrant colors, the messy writing and the imperfect circles It's fun and it holds so much meaning for me. The energy that is in this mandala warms me up when I look at it.

I wanted to share this mandala with you because the mandalas I make at I AM are completely different and they are just one way to do a mandala. I created that technique for this work and it constantly evolves with each new mandala I make. They are multi-layered and infused with so much energy for each person and the work that Jill does makes them an amazing spiritual tool.

They aren't the only mandalas I make. I make them for healing, for fun and even for watching TV. Who knew. Ha ha.

I would like to invite you to start seeing mandalas around you. Play with them, create them, experiment and have fun with them and see what emerges for you. I would love to hear about your experiences with mandalas.

Divine Driving

by: Michelle

As I was driving down the road this week my mind started to wander as it does so many times. I thought of the things I needed to do, the things I wanted to do, my youngest son who was home with the flu and my husband who was also sick.

As my mind circled around and around a few more times I found myself thinking about Inner Alignment Mandalas and I thought about all the wonderful people we had in our Winter Harmony series and all the loving comments we received. I thought about the sense of community that was growing and I thought of the gentleman I was creating a mandala for as a Valentines day gift from his wife.

Then I recalled a facebook post from someone who purchased our I AM Mother print and framed it and put it on the table at her sister’s baby shower. I remembered the special community mandala that was created to bring a group of fabulous women together and to magnify their energy for the good of everyone. I thought of the emails we receive telling us how much our mandalas mean to people, the changes they are having in their lives and the experiences they are having.

It brought tears to my eyes.

In those brief moments I felt myself expand and I could feel the connection to all of these beautiful souls across this big world and I had this overwhelming thought that it’s perfect. Everything we’ve been guided to do for this business was more than I could have ever asked for. I was overcome with gratitude and I have all of you to thank for that. You inspire me to make the connections, to create the mandalas, and to share a bit of myself with all of you.

I would like to invite you to take this connecting energy and spread it outward.  Share a bit of yourself with someone, connect with them in a way you havent’ before and spend some time in deep gratitude for everything you have and for everything you are.

xo

Is It Time To Bedazzle Your Toolbox?

By Jill:

 

My Bedazzled Toolbox

Saturday I was on a coaching call with one of my clients and she asked what tools she could use, if needed, for her upcoming trip to visit her family.  I kind of laughed out loud because her Guides showed me a toolbox that had been Bedazzled!  They wanted me to remind her that she already has so many tools and all she needs to do is look in her toolbox, pick one, and then  implement it.  We talked about what she felt would work best for her and she left prepared with her tools should she need them.

 

That got me thinking not only about my own toolbox but yours too.  I'm guessing that you already have your own and it might even be pretty darn full at this point on your journey.  You have probably invested a lot of time, energy and money to get it so full...  I know I have!

 

Here's the million dollar question though...How often do you actually use those tools?  Do you even know what is in there?  

 

Some people believe that doing their inner clearing work is done and I am so happy for them.  Maybe a wee bit jealous too because I'm just not there yet.  In order for me to be at the level of Inner Alignment that I am most comfortable at, and then continue to evolve and expand, I still have stuff that gets in the way that needs to be let go of and healed.  Remember that the word healing means ~  to return to wholeness.

 

Whether it is old mindsets, habits that no longer serve me, fear of lack and limitation, feeling vulnerable or self-conscious, anxious or depressed or plain old not feeling good enough ~ I know that something is ready to be released and transmuted if it doesn't move through me easily.  That's when I reach into my toolbox and pick something that will help me re-align ASAP.  If stuff begins to cause disharmony and dis-ease in my life then I know I waited  a bit too long and I better go for the power tools!

 

Thanks to my client's Guides I decided to have some fun with this and Bedazzle my own toolbox and take inventory of what is in there.  I couldn't wait to share it with you! 

 

I invite you to have some fun with this and create your own symbolic toolbox and of course...Bedazzle it.  You can go out and pick up some fun items to make your toolbox or you can probably find something in your house that will work wonderfully.  You can even draw one and decorate it with colored pencils, crayons or markers if you want.  

 

Once you have the items to create your toolbox be sure to make a list of all the tools you already have and put them in it ~  You might be surprised to see how many there are.  This is a good exercise to see and acknowledge all the tools you do have, and it also opens up your second chakra and gets the energy flowing.

 

I'm keeping my symbolic Bedazzled toolbox in my workshop with my "tools" in it and when needed I will set my intention to pick the most helpful tool, close my eyes and pick one up and then USE it.  

Who said "healing" can't be fun?

 

Here are some tools in my box:

• Inner Alignment Mandalas
• Soul Art
• Radical Forgiveness
• EFT
• Sedona Method
• Energy Work
• Meditation
• Affirmative Prayer
• Journaling
• Paining/Artwork
• Dance/Movement
• Calling a Like Minded Friend
• Crystals
• Oracle Decks/Tarot/Runes
• Akashic Records
• Affirmations
• Read an Inspiring Book
• Listen to Inspiring Music
• Mantras
• Ho'oponopono
• Essential Oils
• Conscious Breathing 

If you accept the invitation to create your own symbolic toolbox and Bedazzle it,  we would love to see pictures of  it and hear some of your favorite tools that you use.  Be sure to leave a comment when you're done and/or post a picture on our FB page at:

 

  http://www.facebook.com/InnerAlignmentMandalas

With Heart,

Jill Marie

 

My Connection Corner

From Michelle

My Connection Corner

I must admit that in the past I've struggled with a daily alignment practice. I would do it for a while and then forget or get busy or...I don't know what.

That is one of the great things about this work. Creating mandalas gives me a reason to connect with my spirit and it has made a big difference in my life. I'm happier, more content and more grateful.

And yet still, I would find myself not meditating or connecting in any way many of the days I was not creating mandalas. I don't do that every day you know. There are many other tasks that have to be done and not making the time to align with my higher self never seemed to make it on the list.

I was inspired by Jill's altar she shared and decided I would make something for myself. I am not a big fan of the word altar so I decided to call it my connection corner.

I went around the house and pulled together some of my favorite items:

• That bowl was made by my son Cody and it holds shells, rocks, gems and crystals.
• There is of course my personal Inner Alignment Mandala.
• I have a bottle of Young Living Abundance essential oil. I just love the way it smells!
• I have a large glass diamond that reminds me of the work I did in The Journey Practitioner Program. It represents the diamond within each of us.
• There is a wonderful wood wick candle that was a gift from one of my former students at IIN. I'm not a big fan of candles but this candle I love. The wood wick burns and it sounds like a crackling fire and it smells divine!
• There is a little moo card from Lori Portka that says, "Abundance is all around us"
• I have my favorite card deck, Tarot of Transformation
• I even went out to get a plant because I knew this spot needed one.

My daily practice is simple. I light my candle, close my eyes and focus on gratitude. I go through a long list of everything I have to be grateful for in my life. I look around the table and see what I'm drawn to. Sometimes I pick up something from the bowl and hold it or breathe in my essential oil. I always spend time with my mandala gazing at it or tracing it with my fingers. Then I pull a card for the day.

That is the simple practice. It takes about 10-15 minutes. If I'm in a hurry I can spend just 5 minutes. If I have extra time I can meditate, connect deeper with my mandala, or do some journaling. It's totally flexible and yet it has become a bright spot in my day.

I feel calmer, happier, more centered. I feel a deep spiritual connection that had been inconsistent in my life previously. I didn't realize I was missing it until I started doing it every day.

One of the things Jill and I have been repeatedly getting messages about from our guides and in the records is to help our community create some kind of daily alignment practice for themselves.

I'm curious, do you have a practice and if so, tell me, what does it look like for you? If you don't currently have a practice, is it something you think would make a difference in your life?

What is one thing you can do today to move you in the direction of creating a daily alignment practice for yourself?

4 Essentials To a Daily Alignment Practice

By: Jill

 

Jill's Altar

 

 

Having a Daily Alignment Practice is essential for living a balanced life. When we are in alignment with our Authentic Self life just flows better and Intuition is at an all time high.

 

Because we live in a third dimensional world that isn't all sunshine and roses we need a clear open channel with our Divine Guidance. Then we can navigate the terrain and go through the day with as much clarity, focus, ease and grace as we are able to allow into our lives.
 

That is exactly what a Daily Practice allows us to do.

 

I'll be honest and share that I am a bit of a rebel in this regard. I kind of fought having a daily practice because I didn't want to HAVE to do something...I want to WANT to do something.

 

I still have to deal with this aspect of myself from time to time as it will tell me that I am beyond the need for a daily practice and I can stay in alignment just by "Being". If this works for you...GREAT :) For me, not so much!

 

I totally get that for some of us it will take some effort to get in the habit of having a Daily Practice.

 

Keep in mind though that just as we wouldn't brush our teeth once and figure we are done for life, or shower only once a month and be done with it, it is the same for keeping our body, mind and spirit clear and balanced, and for most of us that requires a daily practice.

 

Personally ~ when I fall away from doing my Daily Practice it isn't long before a fog sets in and I get crabby, forgetful, easily distracted and disconnected from my Intuitive Self. The Divine Guidance that I have gotten so used seems to fad away.

 

That is why it is essential for me have a practice in my day and I encourage everybody that feels the Call within to start one ASAP :)

 

Whether you are just developing your own Daily Alignment Practice, getting back to one you already had in place, or looking to tweak your current one keep these elements in mind as you want to tap into these key areas:

 

1. Body ~ movement is important as well as proper rest and nutrition. For those of you that aren't too keen on exercising, up until now, start slowly and build up. Simply going for a walk or dancing to some fun music for 5 minutes is better than doing nothing!

 

Nutrition plan need some improvement? How about adding one "healthy" thing to your meal plan and drinking one extra glass of water a day?

 

2. Mind ~ Reading as little as one inspirational or motivational paragraph a day feeds the Mind. Have some time in your car driving to work or doing errands? Listening to some educational or inspirational audios keeps the mind focused and expanding.

 

3. Spirit ~ Unplugging from the external world and plugging into your Authentic Nature is like recharging your batteries. It is essential to fill yourself up with your Life Force energy to go throughout your day. As little as 5 minutes a day is life changing! Even 90 seconds in the morning, afternoon and evening does wonders and remember, Consistency is key.

 

4. Shadow work ~ At least weekly do a check in with yourself. How did the week go? Were you present and on task or were you hurried and irritable? Anything come up that weighs heavy on your mind? Awareness builds consciousness and once you are aware of something you can make changes if needed. There are so many tools available to help you move through the areas of your life that are no longer working for you.

 

Do you have a Daily Alignment Practice that you love? We would love to hear what that looks like for you!

 

If you don't have one yet and feel that it is important to begin one ~ what is one thing you can start to incorporate into your daily life today?

 

Make it fun and enjoyable and please leave a comment below and let us know what is going on for you!

 

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