Barbara Schmidt's Blog, page 46

Being Joyful

This week’s blog is about being joyful. To be clearer, this week’s blog is about living a life filled with joy. I came up with this topic a few weeks ago, as I was struggling in my own life to find what made me truly joyful. I was in a funk, feeling stuck and to be honest, a little down. I think we all go through phases of life where maybe things seem a little bleak. Even in those times, joy is always a possibility and an option for us. What does it mean to be joyful or to live a life filled with joy? For me, it’s not even the happiness to sadness ratio, but rather, a deep sense of fulfillment, purpose, and passion. I don’t expect to be bubbling over with happiness 24/7, but I do hold myself to a high standard of choosing joy in every moment. This is a practice. Today, writing this blog, I feel joy, and it makes everything else feel brighter. I’ve written down a few steps for you guys if you too, are in search for a joy-filled life. You can check them out below:

Step One: Awareness. The act and intention of wanting to add more joy to your life brings you that much closer to contentment and joy. Awareness brings change, and so if you’re feeling like you need a joy boost, notice it so that you can call it in.

Step Two: Gratitude. Feeling a sense of deep gratitude and thankfulness for what is, always brings me joy. If you’re feeling down, stop and think about what in that moment you can be thankful for. There is always something to be thankful for, remember that, and feel it deep in your bones. Joy bubbles up in your soul when you are grateful.

Step Three: Meditation. My meditation practice has brought me immeasurable joy. Taking time to sit with myself and my thoughts on a daily basis, connects me to spirit, releases stress, allows me to surrender, and gives me a sense of confidence and inner-strength. If you don’t already meditate, I highly suggest adding it into your life as a way to add more joy to your life.

Step Four: Mindfulness. Are you aware of how often you choose the negative over the positive? We live in societies that breed us to be skeptical, aggressive, or insensitive. Try to choose the opposite. Choose faith, ease, and compassion. You will feel lighter and you will make everyone around you feel lighter. Joy ensues.

Step Five: Self-Care. Take care of yourself. When you feel good, you’re joyful. That may sound trite, but it’s true. Don’t let yourself be too busy to remember that you are worth every second of self-care and self-love.

Step Six: Excitement. Make your life exciting. Envision a life that gives you butterflies. Take a class that sparks a creative fire inside you, plan a trip to a place you’ve always wanted to explore, go eat at a restaurant that you’ve always wanted to try. Your life is an adventure, so treat it as such. Allow yourself to dwell in the possibility—joy will soon follow.

I’d love to hear your ideas on how to be more joyful! Reading your comments every week bring me joy- I love them! Please keep in touch in the comment section below!

Love, Michelle

My new favorite exercise that helps me find my inner and outer strength

As many of you know, I’ve built my life around testing out health and wellness habits in search of cultivating a lifestyle that lights me up from the inside out. I love sharing these adventures and experiences with you!

One of my favorite forms of physical exercise that has become a staple in my routine is Pilates. Most people assume that Pilates, like yoga, is just a low impact method of stretching and breathing, but at it’s core (pun intended), Pilates is a full-body, sweat inducing, strengthening workout.

Much like in yoga, Pilates is centered around the concept that mental health and physical health are related. Through breath work and controlled exercises, you find a sense of calm in the mind and strength in the body. I have done almost every form of exercise at one point or another in my life, but I can truthfully say that I have never felt as strong as when I am in a dedicated Pilates routine. You gain strength from the inside out. You cultivate a sense of self-awareness that is unparalleled. Pilates has helped me immensely in connecting with my body and myself. Prior to introducing it into my routine, I was disconnected from my body. I was going through a lot, health wise, and Pilates was my way of coming back to home.

I’m certainly not alone in this sentiment about Pilates, I asked my instructor Kate, who I love, why she loves Pilates so much, this was her response: “I love Pilates because it makes you feel amazing. It’s a challenging workout but you leave energized, having worked and stretched every muscle in your body, including your mind! Through movement, it trains your body to find and use it’s own inner power and strength and makes you do everything else in life better!” That sounds pretty fantastic, doesn’t it?

It’s safe to say the benefits of Pilates are infinite, but to name a few:

Increases core strength
Improves posture
Improves flexibility
Lengthens and tones muscles
Improves balance and stability
Brings the body into alignment
Aides with breathing and lung capacity

If any of this appeals to you I highly suggest finding a local Pilates studio or even checking out some moves online! It has been a game changer for me in cultivating my inner and outer strength. Let me know your thoughts!

xoxo Michelle

How to deal with people who push your buttons

Living a positive life feels nice. You can do everything “right” and feel great, but in reality we are still going to come across people that push our buttons. Dealing with people who rub me the wrong way has been one of my biggest assignments in life thus far. Whether it’s a friendship gone south or a random stranger on the Internet, it takes a lot of inner work to deal with people who just rub you the wrong way. Fortunately, there are tools we can use to work through these feelings. Remember, we have a choice in how we act to situations and people, so keep that in mind to stay in your power (and to stay sane)!

Drop the judgment. As you may remember, I have been working on being judgment free, which has come in handy whenever I come across someone who is really getting under my skin. Like in any other situation with judgment, I notice when I’m judging the person, release that feeling, forgive myself, and choose again.
Don’t write a story. You know when someone cuts you in line at the grocery store, and you get so angry and in your mind think, “What an insensitive jerk that person is.” You are writing a story about what kind of person could be so selfish, when in reality we have no idea what’s going on in someone else’s life at any given moment. Don’t write someone else’s story when they make you angry. Stay present, breathe, repeat a mantra or affirmation, and move forward.
Recognize that the other person is you. This is such a big one! Often times the really annoying things we see in other people are reflections of our own shadows. There have been so many times when I have been beyond irritated with someone, only to go within and realize that the particular person was mirriong something in me. If someone is making you majorly crazy, spend some time in reflection and see if you can come up with what that person might be triggering in you.
Forgive them and forgive yourself. We are all love, right? When someone pushes your buttons and you get feisty with them, it’s ok, but return back to love. Forgiveness is that path back to love. Don’t carry the negative emotions along with you. Say a prayer, take a breath, release the person, release the situation, and move along.
Look at all people as an assignment. A great lesson that I learned from my teacher Gabby Bernstein is, “all encounters are an opportunity to transform fear to love and create a miracle.” What can an interaction or a relationship teach you about being a better person? When you look at life from this standpoint you release the victim mentality and take responsibility for your life and your actions.
Wish them well from afar. Even when you can’t seem to do any of the above, do your best to wish this pesky person love, because most likely, it’s really all they need. We don’t set out to be annoying, selfish, mean-spirited, narcissistic, inauthentic, or whatever trait that makes you mad, but when we slip into that role, it’s because we’ve veered from love to fear. When you see someone acting in a certain way, send them love, wish them well from afar, and feel the sense of anger in you release immediately.

I hope these tips help you in dealing when any person or situation that riles you up! Do you have your own tips you use to manage people who push your buttons? Let me know in the comments!

My Favorite Healthy Habits

By now you guys you know that I’m really into health and wellness. What you might not know is that my health and wellness path hasn’t been an easy one. I have gone through the highs and lows of feeling really great and feeling pretty awful. I have literally experimented with many, many healthy habits in search of what makes me feel good. I truly believe we are all different in the sense that what works for my body might not work for yours. So this week, I want to share with you some of my favorite healthy habits in hopes of inspiring you to find your own. My healthy habits don’t feel like a chore to me, rather, they are second nature; just like brushing my teeth or washing my face. Here are a few of my favorite, daily, go-to’s, enjoy!

Oil pulling. First thing in the morning I spend 20 minutes oil pulling, which is an Ayurvedic technique of swishing oil in your mouth (without swallowing it). There have been many documented benefits of oil pulling, such as improving oral health and even helping to detoxify the body. Personally, I just love how it makes my mouth feel, and if all that other good stuff is happening in the background, that’s great too. I choose to use coconut oil for my daily pulling, but you can also use sesame or olive oil, depending on your personal preference.
Tongue scraping. As a kid, I would wake up from my night’s sleep and be somewhat grossed out by what my tongue looked like. In my nutrition/health studies I have learned that overnight your tongue collects lots of bacteria and other really cute things that you most likely will want to get rid of. Tongue scraping is my remedy for that! Another Ayurvedic practice, that is literally exactly what it says, a gentle scraping of the tongue. The tongue holds bacteria and toxins, which when removed by scraping can improve dental health, bad breath, and even help you taste your food better. Tongue scrapers are super inexpensive! You can grab yours today here.
Greens. We know that having greens in your diet is very important for health and wellness,right? I love to start my day ensuring that I am getting all the greens I need! There are so many green powders out there that are super easy to use, but the one I have been using lately is Athletic Greens. Athletic Greens is an all-natural, superfood supplement that you mix with water first thing in the morning, drink and feel great! If you want to give this a try or learn more, click here.
Move your body. My body craves movement throughout the day. When I’m in the city, I love to take long walks to the park. If being outside just isn’t an option I find myself doing yoga at home, or hitting up my local gym for Pilates or weight training. I love mixing up my workouts and I always feel so great after every workout.
Water! Last but not least–remember to stay hydrated. I literally have noticed that I cannot function without drinking at least three liters of water a day. My body craves water, so I make sure that I have a bottle with me at all times.

What are some of your healthy go-to’s? Let me know in the comments below!

May we all be well and happy!

Love, Michelle

Finding Acceptance

One of the main comments or questions that I get from people is, “How can I change this in my life, right now.” Think about it, is there something you’re actively trying to change in your life? Is there a part of your life that in this moment, you simply cannot accept? This non-acceptance comes in many forms, ranging from wanting to lose weight to changing jobs, or relationships to even struggling with the state of the world. When you start to get into a tizzy about wanting to change your life, I challenge you first, to strive to accept it as it is first. Before you get mad at me for saying this, or thinking that I mean that it’s ok to settle or stay in unhealthy or even dangerous situations, pause and think again. My hope for this week’s blog is simply to help you find peace in what is, right now. By finding peace in the present moment, you garner the strength, confidence, and awareness to make the changes that you do really need to make. Then you may see where your ego might be telling you things that just aren’t true. Finding acceptance can be incredibly challenging, but I can assure you it will bring you so much peace of mind, and true clarity in the long run. I have listed for you a few tools you can use to start to cultivate acceptance of what is, bringing this into your life, starting today.

Find time to connect with yourself every single day. It’s usually when I’m feeling disconnected from myself that I begin to not accept what is. I make it a priority to take time for daily meditation and contemplation; it immediately brings me into the present moment and helps me reset my thoughts. When you’re finding that there are things in life that you’re having a hard time accepting, dive deeper into your meditation practice, it will bring you the answers and clarity that you seek.
Quiet the obsessive thinking. Another symptom of the inability to accept what is, is non-stop, obsessive thoughts. Our minds LOVE to rattle off everything that needs to change, how we could be better, or what we could be doing differently, keeping us in crisis mode. Try to nip those unproductive thoughts in the bud. The first step to this is awareness; start to become aware of the pattern of your thoughts. When you start to notice you are going down a stressful path, choose again. Incorporate mantra or affirmation repetition. Change the path of your thinking to something more loving and more positive; thoughts that will actually help you take steps for making changes.
Rely on something bigger than yourself. When we do get caught up in the desires and wishes of things we want to change, we also get into the habit of relying on our own strength and power to get things done. My advice to you here is to surrender and trust. This is a major key to acceptance. Whenever something seems not right or even unbearable I notice it, feel whatever “it” is that’s causing me to feel this way, then I surrender the outcome to the Universe, God, the inner guide of your understanding, trusting completely that whatever is meant to happen, will happen, and that it will be of my highest and greatest good. There is a much bigger plan than we could imagine, so when we try to micromanage or control the plans, we end up overworking, overstressing, and stalling ourselves in chaos. Surrender and trust is a challenge for sure, but try it out. It can actually be exciting to know deeply that we don’t have to know how things will turn out. Have faith.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on acceptance, and how you’ve learned to be ok with what is! Just to reiterate my thoughts from above, this blog is not an encouragement of staying in dangerous or unhealthy situations, yet learning how to get an understanding of the day-to-day dissatisfactions that may be blocking you from finding the answer. If you find yourself in a situation that needs immediate attention, please take care of yourself and seek the help needed. I wish you all a beautiful day!

Freedom Is Our Greatest Gift

I just realized that next week is Independence Day in the United States. I can hardly believe that we are already heading into July; this summer is going by so quickly! With the upcoming holiday, I was thinking about independence and what that means to me. Lately I have been craving freedom. In almost every single conversation I have with people, somehow I come full circle back to the desire to feel free. What does freedom and feeling free really mean though? In the generic sense, yes I am free. I live in the United States, I have free will, I can choose my actions on a day-to-day basis, and I am truly so grateful for all of that. But what I’m really craving is freedom within myself. Does this mean that right now I’m not feeling free in that way? Maybe. But I’m definitely on the search for it. I’ve experienced glimpses of freedom within myself lately and it is just so liberating (naturally). What can I do to feel free? In what areas of my life do I need to open up more in order to feel free? I’ve noticed that there are three core areas where I am trying to create more freedom in my life. I’ll break them down below.

Freedom in mind. The thoughts in your mind are so freaking powerful. Your thoughts create your reality. With that being said, if you are having really negative thoughts on a 24/7 basis, you’re going to feel trapped. For me, it’s a continual practice of bringing my mind back from the negative and going to the positive. It’s work, but it also brings that sense of freedom. I use affirmations and mantras on the regular to free my mind from the mental trap. A daily meditation practice also helps me release whatever is holding me back mentally.
Freedom in body. Many of us feel trapped within our own bodies. Many of us don’t like the bodies that we live in. And that is a horrible way to feel. Our bodies are our homes that we are living in for our entire lives, I can’t think of anything more depressing that loathing your home for a lifetime. I myself have felt trapped in my own body, due to the thoughts in my mind, and it’s not a pretty place to be. I’m working on feeling free in this area, but just like anything else, it is a daily commitment. I choose exercises that ignite freedom within my body. Yoga, for example, does this for me. In fact, one of my favorite kinds of yoga is Strala, which literally is the “movement system that ignites freedom”. Check it out www.stralayoga.com. I also choose to consume things that make me feel good. When I eat or drink not-so-great things, I feel not-so-great, and then end up in a spiral of negativity. Finally, I choose to love and accept myself where I am at this very moment. Which is a challenge, but how can I ever feel free if I am always yearning for a goal or ideal that is in the future? Love yourself now.
Freedom in physicality. How can you let yourself feel free in your day-to-day life? For me feeling free is getting into nature, or even taking a drive with no specific destination. Keeping my home in order and clearing out clutter helps to bring me back to that free feeling. Planning trips to places I haven’t seen or even just places that bring me joy gives me the sense of freedom, but in this instance it’s totally unique to you. What makes you feel free, physically?

I’m making my freedom my intention for the next few weeks; I’ll keep you posted on how it goes! I’d love to know your thoughts on freedom and how you stay feeling free! Let me know in the comments below!

Finding Freedom

I just realized that next week is Independence Day in the United States. I can hardly believe that we are already heading into July; this summer is going by so quickly! With the upcoming holiday, I was thinking about independence and what that means to me. Lately I have been craving freedom. In almost every single conversation I have with people, somehow I come full circle back to the desire to feel free. What does freedom and feeling free really mean though? In the generic sense, yes I am free. I live in the United States, I have free will, I can choose my actions on a day-to-day basis, and I am truly so grateful for all of that. But what I’m really craving is freedom within myself. Does this mean that right now I’m not feeling free in that way? Maybe. But I’m definitely on the search for it. I’ve experienced glimpses of freedom within myself lately and it is just so liberating (naturally). What can I do to feel free? In what areas of my life do I need to open up more in order to feel free? I’ve noticed that there are three core areas where I am trying to create more freedom in my life. I’ll break them down below.

Freedom in mind. The thoughts in your mind are so freaking powerful. Your thoughts create your reality. With that being said, if you are having really negative thoughts on a 24/7 basis, you’re going to feel trapped. For me, it’s a continual practice of bringing my mind back from the negative and going to the positive. It’s work, but it also brings that sense of freedom. I use affirmations and mantras on the regular to free my mind from the mental trap. A daily meditation practice also helps me release whatever is holding me back mentally.
Freedom in body. Many of us feel trapped within our own bodies. Many of us don’t like the bodies that we live in. And that is a horrible way to feel. Our bodies are our homes that we are living in for our entire lives, I can’t think of anything more depressing that loathing your home for a lifetime. I myself have felt trapped in my own body, due to the thoughts in my mind, and it’s not a pretty place to be. I’m working on feeling free in this area, but just like anything else, it is a daily commitment. I choose exercises that ignite freedom within my body. Yoga, for example, does this for me. In fact, one of my favorite kinds of yoga is Strala, which literally is the “movement system that ignites freedom”. Check it out www.stralayoga.com. I also choose to consume things that make me feel good. When I eat or drink not-so-great things, I feel not-so-great, and then end up in a spiral of negativity. Finally, I choose to love and accept myself where I am at this very moment. Which is a challenge, but how can I ever feel free if I am always yearning for a goal or ideal that is in the future? Love yourself now.
Freedom in physicality. How can you let yourself feel free in your day-to-day life? For me feeling free is getting into nature, or even taking a drive with no specific destination. Keeping my home in order and clearing out clutter helps to bring me back to that free feeling. Planning trips to places I haven’t seen or even just places that bring me joy gives me the sense of freedom, but in this instance it’s totally unique to you. What makes you feel free, physically?

I’m making my freedom my intention for the next few weeks; I’ll keep you posted on how it goes! I’d love to know your thoughts on freedom and how you stay feeling free! Let me know in the comments below!

Letting Go Of Judgment And Comparison

Twenty-two days ago one of my teachers, Gabby Bernstein, put me on a new diet, and it has changed my life. For 22 days I’ve worked on eliminating judgment from my daily life. I had been noticing that MANY of my thoughts were thoughts of judgment, against others and myself. Especially myself. My judgmental thoughts were keeping me stuck and keeping me small. I began to feel that judgment and comparison was my autopilot, which is when I knew I needed to make a drastic change. Judgment and comparison stem from the ego, and it’s incessant need to tell us that we aren’t good enough. In reality, our autopilot is love. We are born into this world with love-based thoughts, and it is part of our life’s purpose to return to that love. I made the commitment 22 days ago to get out of this judgmental place and return to a place of love. Care to join me on my judgment and comparison cleanse? Here are the steps Gabby gave me, and I have been taking on this journey to being judgment free.

Witness your thoughts and behaviors. The key to any change is awareness. How can you stop a problem if you don’t even know when you’re doing it? Awareness is key! When you find yourself thinking a judgmental thought or comparison, simply notice it, be aware of it and then stop yourself right there in that moment.
Remember your commitment to being judgment free! By simply stopping and not letting the thought continue you are already doing so much good for yourself.
Forgive yourself for this thought. Don’t beat yourself up for being in judgment, forgive yourself and understand that these thoughts stem from your ego, not from your highest self. Your highest self always chooses to see love.
Surrender the thought to a higher power. You don’t have to rely on your own strength to create change. Trust that the Universe has your back and will help you in these positive shifts. You don’t have to try to interpret why you think this way, simply surrender and release.
Choose again. By going through all the steps above you place yourself in a position to choose again, to rewrite the script. I may have started a situation in anger, jealousy and comparison, but in the end I can come out of it with love and compassion. Through the surrender you are able to see the situation with love.

How does it make you feel to live without judgment? I know for myself, I’ve been feeling so much lighter, freer and so much happier. As a bonus, I journal about the judgment and comparison at the end of the day, taking an inventory of what situations bring up these thoughts for me. You can do that too if you’d like! Let me know how this goes for you in the comments and if you’ll join me on the judgment cleanse!

My Favorite Summer Foods

By the rising temperatures in New York City this week, I’m pretty confident that summer is here! I get excited as the seasons change because that means there is beautiful new produce to look forward to. As a kid summer was my favorite season, and summer foods were always at the top of my list. I love eating with the seasons, by choosing foods that are in season at the farmer’s market, I feel more connected to the food I eat and I know I get so much nourishment from it. This week I wanted to share with you some of my favorite summer foods! Check out what I’ll be eating all summer long and let me know in the comments what your summer favorites are, recipes included!

Cucumber: Filled with tons of vitamins and nutrients, but what I love most about cucumbers in the summer is the hydrating effect they have. Made of mostly water cucumbers can be a refreshing addition to a salad or even throw a few slices into your water on a hot summer day!

Corn: I remember going to corn festivals as a kid visiting family in the Midwest. I love corn! Its sweet flavor and crunchy texture make it an amazing summer staple. Try to opt for locally grown or organic when purchasing corn this summer!

Watermelon: I think it’s safe to say everyone attributes watermelon to the summer season. There is nothing like it on a hot summer day, it’s hydrating, refreshing, and has nutrient value as well!

Tomatoes: I have to admit tomatoes aren’t always my favorite, but when in season, and fresh from the garden, I just love them. I think they add such beautiful color and taste to any summer dish. There is so much you can do with the tomato and your body will thank you for it too! Tomatoes contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant!

Bell Peppers: I love bell peppers so much! The variety of colors and flavors makes my taste buds happy all summer long. Bell peppers are great for stir fry’s, salads, or even crudité. Try to opt for local or organic, when available.

How To Connect With Yourself

What does it mean to be connected with yourself? For me, connection means feeling in alignment with my highest self, it’s feeling capable, strong, loving and compassionate. It’s a sense of knowingness and wisdom that is completely unique to me. Lately I have been searching for more and more ways to feel some sort of connection to myself, perhaps because, I have been feeling disconnected. It’s so easy to go through the ins and outs of life and forget some of the important things. Connection for me is important. I’m not going to judge myself for feeling disconnected, but instead, focus on things that I can do to get back in touch with myself. I’m sure some of you have felt this way at one time or another, so I thought I would share with you my ways of finding that connection with myself. Enjoy!

Sitting with yourself (aka meditation). I have truly found the importance and benefit of sitting with yourself on a daily basis. No matter how much time I have, I make sure that before I begin my day I start out with a few minutes of meditation. For me, meditation is an instant connector with my higher self. It lets me know where I stand, how I’m feeling, and prepares me to enter my day. I try not to judge my thoughts that come and go and just allow. Each day is different for me with my meditation practice, but I have found that it’s best to be flexible and find what works in the given moment.
Looking at yourself. I first learned about mirror work while on retreat with Louise Hay. She passed around little handheld mirrors and had us sit, looking into the mirror, and telling ourselves that we loved ourselves. I never could have imagined how hard this would be! Try taking some time every day to look at yourself in the mirror with purpose. Look yourself in the eyes and remind yourself of how much you love yourself. This isn’t an egotistical exercise, it really has nothing to do with the body or your physical appearance; it’s about loving and honoring yourself on a soul level. Everyday for years I would go to yoga in a room that had mirrors, and therefore I spent 90 minutes a day looking at myself in a meditative state. Due to my travels, I have been lacking in that experience and have realized how much that time helps me to connect with myself. Try it out! Look into a mirror today and say, “I love you.”
Disconnect from technology. Many times when I’m feeling disconnected from myself, I’m TOO connected to technology. We live in a technology-driven world, I understand that; it’s so important to take some time away from the screens and give your eyes and mind a break! Make some time each day to be on a mini-digital detox.
Spend time in nature. Being in nature immediately helps me to shift my energy and connect with myself. There is something so comforting about being with Mother Nature, and I’ve been craving that time more and more lately. Whether it’s heading out to the beach or even taking a walk in a local park, nature can have so many healing and connecting properties.
Journaling. Sometimes we have so many thoughts going through our minds it’s hard to keep track of what’s going on. This leads to me feeling completely disconnected from myself and sometimes overwhelmed. I’ve found that journaling is a tool that can help from feeling this way. I like to spend a few minutes in the morning just free-writing thoughts, in a sense to let it all go. I don’t analyze or try to make it perfect, I just write. I feel so much clearer and connected afterwards.

What are some of your habits or tools to help you connect with you? Let me know in the comments section!