In the movie Avatar, Moat tells Sully that humans cannot learn because their cups are so full they have no room to understand. He replies, “My cup is empty.” And because that’s true, he is able to step into a new life.

We ask for healing, for love, for money, for a better job. And when it doesn’t happen, or it’s imperfect in some way, we wonder “Why isn’t it working? What’s wrong with me?” Or, “Why does this keep happening to me?”

There can be lots of reasons why our lives aren’t quite as big as we dreamed. But I believe they all have one thing in common: our cups are too full.

To allow change to happen, you need space. Not enough space is something most of us have in common. We are so busy, so plugged in to so many things that we don’t have room to breathe. We get stuck in old fears and beliefs that keep us rooted in the past, habits that no longer serve us, and the demands and expectations of others — not to mention the physical clutter in our lives. Physical and energetic clutter are often tied together. A lot of the physical stuff we hang onto actually drains our energy rather than lifting our spirits. And that’s clutter by any other name!

How much space do you give yourself? Is there room in your life for your own answers to emerge?

We don’t realize it, but our bodies do come with an instruction manual — it’s our connection between body and spirit. It’s embedded in every cell, and in the energy centers of our body (chakras). But because our lives are filled with energetic clutter, we don’t have the space to actually see what is within us.

When your cup is too full, you cannot hear that small, still whisper within you that is your own inner guidance.

When your cup is empty (or at least not entirely full!), there is room to hear your own intuition. And there is more space for creating, for healing, for love.

To make more space for your dreams, try our Lighten Up! Clutter Clearing Workshop, or Meditation 101: Relax and Rejuvenate

Bright Blessings to You!

Jennifer

Saturday July 17, 2010: 9 AM to 1 PM Pacific Time.

Last month’s Lighten Up! workshop was so productive and so much fun for everyone that I’ve decided to do it again! Just think…how much space would you have to change your life if you cleaned out clutter that’s bogging you down? If you shifted your energy from what is “not you” to what is truly you?

Clutter is anything in your life that does not lift your energy or validate who you are as a soul personality. Clutter takes more than it gives. It might look like paper piles, “stuff” you don’t love but feel you have to keep, “invisible” junk you walk past every day but don’t see, stuff hidden away in closets, and more…

Physical clutter drains your own energy because it’s connected to you, even if you don’t see it. That’s why when you clean house and get rid of clutter, you feel lighter, too! You become more, well, YOU! And you have space for your heart’s desires to come in.

Clean out the clutter and make room for your heart’s desires. Easier said than done, right?

Not if you have some help to keep you moving and motivated!

Lighten Up! is a teleconference where you call in from home and work on a decluttering project of your own choosing.

We start with energy work to make your chosen project easier. Then we all hang up the phone and get to work for the next 45 minutes. At the top of every hour, you’ll call back in, for group validation, support, and more energy work. We’ll repeat that, until our last call-in at 1 PM.

You’ll be amazed at how effective this format is – and how much you will get done!

Working with a professional organizer is hugely expensive and it’s easy to backslide once they go home (the law of entropy at work!)

But when you clean out the energy behind the stuff, and only allow things that lift your energy in your home, the junk stays gone. Think of it as conscious awareness meets clutter, and wins!

Please join me on Saturday for just $65. You’ll be amazed at how great you’ll feel when we’re done!

Regain your inner balance?

Learn how to be fully present in the moment?

Be able to switch into your own inner spa zone, anytime you choose?

Meditation isn’t just for mystics…it’s for anyone who wants to find their own inner peace and tranquility in our hectic world. Meditation can help you reclaim your own sense of calm and inner power, no matter what is happening around you.

This simple, western-style meditation is easy for anyone to learn. Yes, it is a spiritual practice, but it’s not grounded in any particular religion, so you can blend it into your own spiritual beliefs.

The techniques I’ll show you in this multimedia class can be used anytime you need some breathing room.

Lesson One: Conscious Breathing. Many years ago, one of my teachers told me that awareness is 90% of making a change. In this lesson, you will begin to become more conscious and aware of your breathing, the foundation of life. In the moment, it can help you release stress and give your body oxygen and energy. And over time, this simple tool can help you develop new ways of dealing with stressful situations as they happen and find greater joy and peace in daily life.

Lesson Two: Grounding. A foundation tool I’ve used for over 20 years. Grounding helps me own my personal power, be more conscious and present in the moment, and be more effective and productive throughout my day. It helps me have the space to be myself.

Lesson Three: Letting go of Stress and Negativity. We all take on stress, even when we don’t realize it—from daily life, from other people, in our relationships and our jobs. Learn how you can shift from stress into synergy, from negative energy to natural balance and empowering neutrality.

Lesson Four: Getting in Touch with Your Body. We are human beings…both body and soul. Body and soul don’t always communicate well with each other, and that’s when life starts to get harder than it has to be. In this lesson, you’ll begin to build a deeper communication between body and spirit.

Lesson Five: Balancing and Rebuilding Your Energy. In this lesson, you’ll learn a simple tool you can use anywhere to help you feel more energized and balanced, even when you’re having a bad day.

Lesson Six: Putting it All Together. I’ll show you how to combine these easy energy-shifting tools into a simple but powerful meditation you can use daily to reduce stress, release negative energies, and live in a more peaceful, energized state of being.

Lesson Seven: Tips for Building Your Meditation Practice. How to really integrate body, mind, and spirit throughout your day and your life by shifting your energy and building new wellness habits (including meditation).

***And, my gift to you, two extra audio meditations. The first will help you set the energy and tone of your day in the morning, and the second will help you move into a more relaxed, peaceful place at night so you can give yourself a better night’s sleep.***

You’ll have immediate access to all seven video and audio lessons, and you can watch and listen anytime. Plus, I’ll send you additional tips and support by email throughout the class to help you stay on track and really integrate these techniques into your life. And, two options include one-on-one intuitive sessions with me. See below for details!

$127 Inner Wisdom Package – You get full access to Meditation 101: Relax and Rejuvenate, including all audios, videos, and regular email tips and encouragement from me, to help you stay on track and get the most out of the meditation tools. Plus, you receive two individual energy-check readings with me by phone, where I will take an intuitive look at your meditation space, answer your questions, and help you move through any places where you get stuck. You also get full email support for any questions that you might have between sessions.

$67 Spiritual Growth Package – In this package, you’ll get full access to Meditation 101: Relax and Rejuvenate, including all audios, videos, and regular email tips and encouragement from me to help you stay on track and get the most out of the meditation tools, plus one private energy-check reading with me by telephone, and full email support.

$27 Relaxation Zone Package You’ll get full access to Meditation 101: Relax and Rejuvenate, including audios, videos, and regular email tips and encouragement from me throughout the seven-week class, to help you stay motivated and build your meditation practice. This option is perfect if you are a self-starter and don’t need one-on-one support.

But you know, life is messy. And noisy. And maybe you have to close the door on your family for awhile, turn off the ringer on your phone, and move a bunch of magazines off the chair so you can actually sit down to meditate. And once you do start meditating, all you can think about is the dust on the table nearby or the bathroom that needs cleaning, the exercise class you didn’t get to, someone you don’t like much at work, or the new whatever that one of your kids needs for school ASAP. So much for a beautiful serene sunrise, white organic cotton leggings, and a quiet mind!

This post could just as easily be about anything you might want to try…singing, golf, writing. The whole Nike “just do it” thing applies to all of them. Especially meditation. Sure, you may only have a few minutes, it might not happen every day, and you may never quiet your mind completely.

But that’s not the goal. Just by sitting down, you begin to create your own sanctuary and shift your energy from busyness to peace. Just by doing it, you begin to expand your inner space and awareness, even if you don’t think anything is happening yet! Meditation gives you space to truly be yourself, to integrate who you are as a being with who you are in the body…human being. Even if you don’t do it perfectly

As an adult, you might have heightened awareness in different areas. It could be physical — like having sensitive hearing or a keen sense of smell. And it can be internal, like intuition and empathy — being aware of and affected by the energy and emotional undercurrents that swirl around us daily. All of these are tremendous gifts if you use them consciously.

But most of us are never taught how to do that. Take me, for instance. When I was a little girl, I came home from school exhausted and had to take a nap. The schoolwork didn’t tire me out–the trouble was that I didn’t know how to manage the energy at school. It took me a long time to figure that out and learn how to work with it.

Now we are all made of energy, and all of our interactions with one another are also energy. And “energy vibes” have a very definite emotional hierarchy, if you will, with creative energy and amusement at the top, and hopeless despair at the very bottom. Ever noticed how one person can dampen the enthusiasm of an entire office or a group with a few well-placed negative comments? That’s because everyone else matches the lower vibration. On the flip side, one person can also change the energetic tone in a positive way, too.

So a highly sensitive person (kid or adult) walks into a place with a lot of energetic garbage floating around and can either absorb it unconsciously or deal with it in a more conscious way.

Now we all have ways of bringing up our energy when we get stuck, confused, or too tired. This can be as simple as telling a joke, watching a funny movie, taking a nap, or working quietly in your garden. Singing and meditation have become my tools of choice to release the negative stuff and shift my mood and energy level fast (naps are nice, but no longer required).

So tell me, what are some ways you use to shift your energy when you’re “having a bad day” (taking on somebody else’s problems or negative energy)?

Bye for now!

Why not make this year different?

Resolutions don’t have to fall by the wayside. Start the new year right: refine your resolutions, get clear on your motivation, and map out the steps you need to make your resolutions real.

This fun and energizing workshop is a combination of energy work (visualization and self-awareness meditation), discussion, and practical steps you can take to make your resolutions come alive.

It’s the first in a series of teleclasses I’ll be offering this year, to help you boost your creativity and give life to your dreams and intentions.

Conscious living isn’t about making it perfect…it’s about being real and present in the moment. Working with what is, exactly where you are in this moment, to consciously create change that really works.

Come with a few resolutions you’d like to make real. You’ll walk away not only with stronger awareness and motivation for your resolutions, but also a concrete action plan that will help you move towards your desired outcome, step by step.

Get your resolutions off to a great start. Join us January 14 at 5:30 pm Pacific, 8:30 pm Eastern time! It’s super-affordable at just $15.

Make it a terrific 2010!

Is there a part of the world you’d like to visit? A business you’d like to launch? A book you’d like to write? A language you’d like to learn? A new habit you’d like to develop?

I came across a blog post I’d like to share with you…it’s from Dr. Mehmet Oz, blogging at the Huffington Post. In it, Dr. Oz suggests something a bit radical. Scale down those resolutions. Keep them so basic they seem almost too simple. And then see what happens.

Now the good Dr. Oz suggests three resolutions to start with…more sleep, more sex, and never let yourself feel hungry!

He’s having fun here, but he’s quite serious, too.

We tend to set grand goals for ourselves and then assume we’ve failed because we didn’t take them all the way to completion. But what if you did get an extra hour of sleep most nights, and that gave you the extra energy to start that home business you’ve been dreaming about or write the novel that’s been dancing in your head?

You can take your goals to the next level by making sure that you’re not forgetting the basics…by building a strong foundation.

Want to get clearer on your resolutions, strengthen your motivation, and define concrete action steps to make them happen?

Join me on Thurs January 14… for Refining Your Resolutions… a one-night tele-workshop where we’ll clarify our goals, make them specific and measurable, and develop the first action items to start moving in the right direction. Then, because goals need ongoing attention and support to thrive, you’re welcome to join me again in February and March for the second and third classes in this series, where we’ll work on keeping the momentum and action going. Click here for more info and Happy New Year!

Inner peace is really just being calm and present in the moment, no matter how your family is getting along, how hectic traffic is, or how the food turned out.

Not such an easy task, especially this time of year!

My dear friend Libby sent me a wonderful book, The Miracles of Archangel Michael, by Doreen Virtue. She tells me she’d intended to send me angel cards…but somehow this book found its way into her virtual cart instead. Maybe Michael had a hand in it, because the book was exactly what I needed to hear.

You see, I often think I have to try to do it all by myself. That I shouldn’t ask for help…from anyone — human or angel. But asking for help and being willing to receive it can make all the difference, especially when it comes to inner peace.

In Miracles, Virtue talks about asking Michael and the divine for help, even with the little things, no matter what your religion. Angels, it seems, are nondenominational. Michael’s particular forte is protection and peace in difficult situations large and small. That includes peace within your heart and spirit.

Since the book arrived, I’ve been making a point of choosing peace, and asking for help when I have trouble finding it on my own.

Peace can be contagious, and unlike the flu, it’s a terrific thing to share. So, as we all go through this holiday weekend and into the New Year, I wish for you, your family, and your friends the gift of peace.

Bright blessings to you!

Jennifer

My friend Sharon and I sang “We need a Little Christmas” in comedy style with a Charlie Brown tree, and we couldn’t stop laughing when we got off stage after the evening show. Our audience loved it, too.

Now what does this have to do with chocolate, you ask? I’m just getting to that. As a treat after the concert, I’m having chocolate pudding for breakfast (not instant …my own creation, with dark organic chocolate and cacao nibs!). And lo and behold, I turn on my email and up pops this great post from RealAge…VALIDATION!!!

Check it out…

http://www.realage.com/tips/3-new-health-benefits-of-eating-chocolate

It’s really too bad that dogs and cats can’t have chocolate, because Miss Maya has been lobbying me for it, and it’s pretty hard to resist those eyes. See what I mean?

Yikes, I thought. Am I the only one who does this? So I started watching people in stores and restaurants…and lo and behold, they were doing the same thing.

I tried an experiment last week … walking around with a smile on my face, for no particular reason whatsoever. And you know what? The research is right! Smiling actually makes you happier. I sailed through each day, feeling happier and more content even in situations that didn’t really warrant being blissfully happy. So I’ve decided to continue my smiling experiment because it’s just plain fun. See … I’m smiling even now!

Have a happy and smiling day!

Jennifer

P.S. If you’d like to check out Meditation 101: Relax and Rejuvenate…it’s coming soon on the website. It’s mainly for beginners and people looking to restart their meditation practice…but advanced meditators who like to play will enjoy it, too!