Loving Life Blog

Spur of the Moment Reflections

The Most Beautiful January 26, 2010

Filed under: Health,Inspiration — Johanna C. Nilsson @ 7:49 am
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“Go Confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.”
Henry David Thoreau (1817 – 1862)

One of my prior colleagues had this quote in her facebook update a couple of weeks ago as she reflected over the past and new year. Sitting next to my Dad’s side at the hospital in Sweden, I thought to myself – “that is exactly what I did, but this is not what I imagined”. Spending week after week caring for my Dad who is fighting a life threatening heart infection. After a little bit of reflection, I do think I got exactly what I was looking for. With one exception.

The lifestyle that I am about to create will bridge the gap in-between Sweden and where I live. It will allow me to be more free in terms of where I spend my time in order to still live my life where ever it takes me, work with what I love AND be present with my family in good and bad times. (July 4 2009)

By the time I get back to San Francisco from Sweden, I have been present for:

-       five precious weeks with my Dad
-       my Dad’s 74th (belated) birthday
-       the first Christmas celebration in my brother’s and sister-in-law’s new house
-       my nephew’s first Christmas, first step, and first “high five”
-       my parents 40th anniversary
-       my cousin’s 50th birthday
-       my brother’s birthday
-       my nephew’s baptism
-       my Dad’s passing and funeral

At the same time I have been able to work part-time in the evening on PST morning time, or sometimes any time with a wireless connected hospital, iPhone and Skype, and experienced the most beautiful white winter I can remember having seen.

After a little bit of reflection – given the situation with my Dad – there is nothing more I could have asked for. There are no words for how grateful I am to have been able to be present with my family during this time. In good and bad.

As I told my colleagues: “Thank you for all of your support and understanding during this period, and flexibility with me working from here during irregular hours. Thank you for encouraging me to go or stay here when the uncertainty or work ethics seemed to take over. I will do the same to you if possible.”

We all need some support along the way. There are many other’s who have been of great support, even with small actions or words. The same goes for you.

Take really good care of yourself and others – that is the most beautiful thing we have got.

Johanna

This song is a tribute to my dear father who was nothing but positive, appreciative and loving to his family during the most difficult time in the end. We love you.

Det vackraste. (The Most Beautiful). To be loved by you is the most beautiful to me.

 

Chant Before You Can’t! October 26, 2009

Filed under: coaching,Health,Inspiration,Promotion,Swedish-American — Johanna C. Nilsson @ 11:09 pm
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Keeva! We just had the last rehearsal yesterday before our coming Friday night concert. With wide open windows after a truly hot Indian summer day in San Francisco, the neighbors across the street got a private performance.  They seemed to enjoy it as much as we – because it’s fun! Music is good for you.

There is research showing that music is good for your health and well-being. A year ago there was a World Conference on Health held in the UK that aimed to pave the way for “singing on prescription”. Earlier this year, the Swedish Medical Doctor and Professor Töres Thorell released a book on music and health. Basically – whether you attend a Bruce Springsteen concert, sing in a choir or listen to a Mozart symphony – you’ll get reduced stress, improved immune system, and a sharper mind! If you enjoy music that is. My friend said “- oh, my dad is tone death, but he loves going to the symphony hall. Yes, it’s very likely that he will fall asleep – but he still enjoys it”.

Being brought up in Sweden, where we have a song for every season, the largest per capita number of amateur choirs in the world and being the third largest music exporter in the world (surpassed only by the US and the UK) – I know that music matters. During the first dinner in San Francisco with new connections I was posed the question: “Among all the things you used to do in San Diego – what do you miss the most?” “I’m looking for a group to sing with.” “I’m part of a small group of Talisman Alumni’s from Stanford who has formed an a cappella group. We are looking for a female singer – what part are you?”… Synchronicity – I love it. And I love singing not only because I enjoy it and I feel good doing it – it is also an excellent way to meet great friends, socialize and have fun.

In a different setting – going to a yoga session that incorporates chanting gives you all that. Meeting great people, having fun, feeling good. And by no surprise – I am having Rusty Well’s yoga as my reference. Recently the session started with the chant “Loka samasta sukhino bhavantu…” [May all beings everywhere be happy and free.] But the 100 students didn’t really give it all… Have you ever experienced a hesitation to sing? Rusty goes: “Do you care about being here? Give yourself the benefit – sing! Stretch your mind, stretch your heart, stretch your voice – what happens is that you stretch your breath. Just try. You made it this long, all the way here. Tall spine close your eyes, and chant before you can’t! All right…”

So where ever it is – in the shower or in the car… chant before you can’t – or you can come and enjoy the Keeva concert this upcoming Friday. See details below!

Enjoy,

Johanna

Come hear the Richter Scales and Keeva sing an evening of “Trick or Treat A Cappella” the night before Halloween in SF’s Mission District.

The Richter Scales: So what if many of us are a decade or more past our prime? We still possess the ability to bring an audience to tears. Whether they are tears of laughter or tears of horror is another matter. You’d best hope for the laughter tears.

Keeva A Cappella: A group of SF Bay Area professionals and graduate students who have been singing world music and other culturally significant songs (e.g. “Oh Mickey you’re so fine”) for more than a decade.

Date: Friday, October 30th
Time: 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM

Place: Noe Valley Ministry, 1021 Sanchez Street at 23rd, San Francisco 
Price: Free for folks in costume; suggested $7 donation for all others
Food: Various tricks and treats will be available

All ages are welcome. We’ll have candy for folks who want to warm up their trick-or-treating muscles. Costume-wearers welcome.

And as a bonus – why not use music changing one or two habbits?

 

Risen From the Dead October 3, 2009

Filed under: coaching,Health,Inspiration — Johanna C. Nilsson @ 12:22 pm
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“I am in a dead man’s pose – not by choice. I agree that relaxation is important. We take too little time to do that in our everyday living. However, what is the recommendation for the opposite situation? When you are stuck in a “dead man” situation and can’t move out of it? Is there a…pose?…for getting yourself moving again? Energizing your brain? Stimulating your thinking to maximum creativity instead of numbness?”

This was a comment from Hannah on my previous postings “When Life Gets Busy” and “Dead Man Attracts Love“. There were 3 distinct actions that came to my mind as a response:

1. Stimulating the thinking – Yes! – The Artist Way

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron is a process that will unleash your creativity, and you can make it into a really nice routine. Read about the two basic tools here – they are 1. Morning Pages and 2. The Artist Date. I had heard about The Artist Way several times before, bought the book a couple of years ago, and kept seeing quotes from it (still do today) everywhere - during the passed spring a decided from curiosity to give it a shot – what could come out of it?

As often as I could I started the morning with making myself a cup of tea and a toast (or Wasa Hard bread with Swedish cheese!;), put some nice meditative music on in the back-ground, removed the blinds so I could see the sun rise over the skyline, and sat down comfortably in my reading chair by the window and wrote the 3 morning pages. You are supposed to just write whatever is on your mind, don’t stop and it doesn’t need to make sense, and what ever you write – you are not supposed to go back and read it. 3 pages. 12 weeks. Or however long you want; once you started you may want to continue.

The second tool is the Artist Date. Set a date with yourself once a week and do something that feeds your soul. It could be anything. Visit a museum, hike in the nature, enjoy a concert, paint a painting, cook food, dance on the roof… create a Burning Man Art Car! :O

All I know is – had I not gone through that process – this blog had not been created. Not that fast. ;) I knew I wanted to do it – just not how and exactly about what. And voila! Here it is. What would come out from your creative self?

2. Self-Healing Ritual to get moving – Nia and the 5 Stages

Nia is an expressive workout and lifestyle practice that uses the body’s way to achieve physical, mental, emotional and spiritual fitness and well-being. It combines the grace and spontaneity of dance, the power and explosiveness of martial art and the stillness and concentration of yoga and tai chi. One of the components of the healing art movement forms included is the Feldenkrais Method, which inspired the 5 stages exercise.

clipped from www.nianow.com
Nia 5 stages
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The Nia 5 Stages is an integrative movement practice based on the five stages of human development: Embryonic, Creeping, Crawling, Standing and Walking. Practiced with awareness, these stages have the power to facilitate optimal alignment, improved function and comfort in the body. Whether practiced at length or for as little as five minutes a day, this system provides a tool for reclaiming and sustaining mobility, flexibility, strength, agility and stability.

Basically, the story I remember was that Moshé Feldenkrais became immobile and reached self-healing by studying newborn babies, observing how they with very fine movements become aware of their bodies, muscles and bones, and gradually increase their ability to move and develop as human beings. Imagine that you are a baby in the womb of your mother. Supported, warm, fed. Moving in water. Use your imagination, be curious about your body, explore and seak awareness of all parts and see what you need to do to move through the five stages above. What are the emotions that arise in the different stages? The Nia Technique book elaborate a little bit on the excursive on page 306-308 for further reference.

This was one of the most profound exercises during my Nia White Belt teacher training in San Diego. Today Nia have developed a certification program for this movement practice alone!  If you want to find out more about that or to find a class in your area – check out the Nia website. This passed Monday Nia was featured in San Francisco Chronicle. I just need to add – Nia needs to be experienced to get it. For those of you who live in San Francisco – go to the Nia Jam tomorrow Oct 4th at UC Berkeley. Soon I will arrange for my favorite teacher Rocco from San Diego to come up and teach – that will be another treat.

And by the way – the five stages are pretty much as the reversed evolution of a photographer below… add that exercise and you can loop back in!

3. Pose that can bridge to action

The more advanced pose after bridge pose is the Upward Bowl or Wheel Pose: Urdhva Dhanurasana. I hear Rusty’s comments from the evening yoga classes “if you don’t won’t to stay up late tonight, don’t do this one [pose], it will give you energy”. Now, I don’t recommend to go straight into an upward bowl pose – the you can risk being stuck in a dead man’s pose even longer – but incorporate the pose in your daily yoga routine. Starting out with warming up your body in a few sun salutations would probably be a nice segway.

Here are the benefits that the Yoga Journal lists for the Upward Bowl pose:

  • Strengthens the arms and wrists, legs, buttocks, abdomen, and spine
  • Stretches the chest and lungs
  • Stimulates the thyroid and pituitary
  • Increases energy and counteracts depression
  • Therapeutic for asthma, back pain, infertility, and osteoporosis

These would be my personal tips and recommendations for a roadmap back to creativity, healing and activity. However, we are all different, and the bottom line is to listen to your body, get active your body’s way, and do what feeds your soul.

And finally, to rise from a Dead Man’s Pose: roll over to your right, put your right arm under your head for support and bend your knees in a comfortable position. Rest here for a while. Take a moment to think of an individual in your surrounding to whom you would dedicate your yoga practice, or for whom you would want to rise up, be present with and support. Slowly – your body’s way – bring your self up to a seated and standing position. Thank you for being here. Now, the practice of yoga begins – bring it to the world!

Enjoy,
Johanna

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It’s a Gift August 28, 2009

Filed under: coaching,Health,Inspiration — Johanna C. Nilsson @ 11:20 am

I had the privilege to spend a wonderful evening with a friend of mine from an “earlier generation” a couple of nights ago. We went for dinner at Fringale – one of the absolute pearls when it comes to French Basque-inspired food in San Francisco. Small and packed, but quiet, and delicious food. Perfect for good discussions and private conversations. Business or private. (Thanks Liz for the recommendation!)

I love when friendship is ageless. Meaning, age does not matter. Some of the most significant individuals in my life, whom I see as very close friends, are or were part of a different generation. I started with my grandma’s generation, and then my mom’s…  today I am getting friends in the younger generations, which means that I am getting into that “golden age” myself ;) . Very cool individuals – and where ever I go I get one or two new ones.

What do they have in common? Young in heart and mind, with empathy, curious about people and life, heaps of experience and life learning’s and they do what they love – or they come across that way. Great attitude to life. They find pleasure in things – small things or big things that matter to them. Mostly it has been female bonding, with rare exceptions. The legend Gary Becker is one of those – the Danish/Swedish long-term car rental owner from San Diego, who thought I should take over his business when he retired. He always pulled my leg, posed intriguing questions and shared his life stories and reflections. It is a good way to get out of the box!

The TPE blogged about “44 ways to find a mentor!” which was mostly relating to the business setting of course. If you would want a life mentor – whom in your life would you turn to? Or, who could you inspire by sharing your lifestory and point of view?

At the end of the dinner Wednesday evening, I asked Les: “if you would give one advise to anyone you meet – what would that be?” “You know – life is a gift. It is truly a gift to be on this earth. Having had a husband who passed away at age of 42, I tell everyone to make the most out of it. What ever you want to do – whether it is starting a business or spending a year in Thailand or you name it – go do it now.”

Said in a different way – with my yoga teacher Rusty Wells words: “We yogis know that breathing is most important, and the number of breaths we have on this earth is limited. Take a breath, and make this one count.”

Enjoy!
Johanna

 

Full Stop August 22, 2009

Filed under: coaching,Entrepreneur,Health,Inspiration — Johanna C. Nilsson @ 9:17 am
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Time to reflect. I have gotten a lot of interesting and motivating comments and messages sent to me relating my blog. This one was sent yesterday, which made me want to comment.

“It is easy to be loved when one’s young, when employed, when healthy… when beautiful, when blond, when twenties, when wealthy. Actually one of the hardest thing for wealthy people is to find out who their real friends are. Who are the people around them, friends or beneficiaries of their wealth?”

Thank you for sharing! Several thoughts are coming to me as I read this and I am going to dissect this a little bit.

It is easy based on the look of things to assume that someone is young, healthy and wealthy. It is easy to assume that “love is easily accessible for them, but not for me”.

What does that assumption serve? Who is really talking – you or your gremlin? I would say that it is a limiting belief by the gremlin that would cut you short by listening to it. So please don’t. Open up for love. It is here for all of us!

And would it make a difference if that one person in reality were getting closer to the forties, gray hair and unemployment? Or is it the attitude and energy that the person is radiating that is of importance?

From that perspective I do agree on most of your points – it is probably easier to be loved when one is young, employed, healthy, beautiful and wealthy. Let me clarify my definitions when I say that: Young in mind. Employed by something you enjoy. Leading a healthy life. Beautiful soul. Wealthy at heart. We all can strive towards that.

Talking about Friends and Wealth…

I can’t personally relate to your example – but I have seen with my own eyes examples of friends disappearing when personal success or health is gone. It may be difficult – but it is the remaining friends that matter. This is another way to look at it:

To have a friend is great. But, to be a friend is the most helpful thing anyone can be. In doing so, the one who is being the friend is also the one who is for sure enjoying the friendship.

What is wealth to you? To me, being financially astute whatever amount of funds you have is far more desirable and attractive than being rich. I am not denying that money helps, but it is not the most important thing. “Rich is a matter of the heart”, as the artist and painter from La Jolla, California, Sally Huss expressed. I just visited her website, and would love to share some happy musings of hers:

clipped from www.sallyhuss.com
The accumulation of wealth looks a lot like a gathering of friends.
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What Real Wealth Looks Like
“The accumulation of wealth looks a lot like a gathering of friends.”
Better than a friend is a group of friends, the more the merrier. To gather friends is a great art. Dennis Wood is such an artist. Although Dennis has never met a stranger, he has also never met a person who was not his friend.
Dennis came to work for our company 20 years ago. It didn’t matter what he was asked to do, he figured out how to do it and do it well. But one of the best things that Dennis figured out how to do was make friends. Everyone who worked for us loved Dennis. The suppliers loved Dennis. The customers loved Dennis. UPS and Mail Clerks loved Dennis. There was not a place where Dennis went that he didn’t leave a trail of friends.
There was another interesting thing about Dennis. He had a key ring filled with keys. He was in charge of a lot of things, but there were more keys than there were things to be in charge of. The keys hung on Dennis’ belt and made their presence known as Dennis walked about.
There always seemed to me to be a correlation between the many keys and the many friends. I thought perhaps that Dennis had many answers, therefore many keys to creating friends. Maybe it was just one key – Dennis, who knew that being a friend first guaranteed that the other person in the equation was automatically captured. In this way they became a part of his inner key ring – the one around his heart.
Dennis has moved on to his own endeavors, but we are still attached with hardly a beat skipped, even though we may not speak with each other for months at a time. Dennis is one of the wealthiest people I know. And he makes me wealthier myself for having him as a friend.

clipped from www.sallyhuss.com
Your friends are your assets. Guard them well
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Count Your Friends, Count Your Assets
“Your friends are your assets. Guard them well.”
Friends are assets whose values are unknown. But they are assets for sure. I remember reading a story of a man of great wealth who lost everything he had in the great depression of 1939. At the moment the market crashed and he realized all his money was gone he remembered he had friends – and he had an idea.

Horseracing had become legal again in America and he wanted to build the finest racing establishment in the country. He no longer had financial assets, so no banks would loan him money. Instead, he took his idea and began knocking on friends’ doors. Many were not interested, but a few were, including the famous crooner Bing Crosby and the owner of one of the top racing stables, William Howard. Monies were gathered. Ranch land was purchased near the San Gabriel Mountains in California . And the magnificent Santa Anita Racetrack was created. It has been one of the primer racetracks for over 60 years and enjoyed by millions of people during that time. It came into being because a man with an idea had as his only assets, friends.

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“You can find something beautiful anywhere you look, if you are looking for something beautiful.”

I remember long ago in Psychology 101 my teacher explaining how a need or intention alerted the subconscious to bring to the forefront those things that fulfilled that need or intention. The example he gave at that time was that if you were driving along a highway and became hungry, you would continually notice restaurants along the way. Naturally, that’s an easy one and one that we have all experienced. But, in the same way you can find something beautiful anywhere you look, if you are looking for something beautiful.

Right now, it is very important to look for something beautiful, something positive, something uplifting. These things are everywhere. The intention sets your sifting mechanism and the things you are looking for will be found. There is much to see and much to distract us from the better things in life. Sometimes those distractions are of the coarsest, loudest and most unseemly of things available in our realm. But we can make adjustments — change channels, change stations, change locations, change friends. As we do, we make way for the beautiful things.

The really good things are the subtle things, the sweet things, the things that lift our spirits. We need to look for them. They are there in our surroundings whether those surroundings are of nature or are filled with high rises and people.

This idea of looking for something beautiful must also be applied to ourselves. How important is it that we see our own beauty? Very. Not that we created it, but we can certainly appreciate it and find it by looking for it.

I knew a woman once who was brimming with self-appreciation. She and her husband ran a popular restaurant in Palm Desert, California. She was just beautiful! Yet her face was covered with wrinkles. She was a great skier, tennis player and swimmer and obviously, lover of the sun. Not one wrinkle covered her beauty. I always admired her because she was as she was, which was an exception to the local women who tended to try to correct every “blemish” with cosmetic surgery. Yes, it was easy to see this woman’s beauty, even if you were not looking for it.

When I look in the mirror, I could see only the wrinkles on my face. But then, I would miss the light in my eyes or the underlying beauty of the life that is within that is forever working towards well-being. So, I honor that life by smiling at this hidden beauty.

You can always find something beautiful anywhere you look, if you are looking for something beautiful because it is looking for you.

clipped from www.sallyhuss.com
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How To Get Your Man (or Woman)
“If you wish to have a love in your life, because you wish you will. And because you know this is true, smile until you do.”

There are too many people out there without a close friend or a loved one in their life. Yet as life on the outside gets tougher, colder and more demanding, the needs of the heart become even greater.

We all need warmth and we need to share our warmth. The sun in the sky warms us on the outside, of course, but it is the sun on the inside that really warms us. It is the sun in our own hearts that likes to shine, expand and share its contents. It also likes to receive the same. Why not? That’s the way we are constructed. A heart is not meant to languish. It needs to be used and exercised. Love is the answer.

Why are there so many people without love in their lives? Too busy? No! Too disconnected? No! Too discouraged? No! Too unworthy? Not really! Too afraid of rejection or being hurt? Not buying it! It is forgetfulness!! They’ve just forgotten how to use the heart. Again, love is the answer.

Love first and all good things will come to you, including that special person to be in love with. That’s the thing: be in love right here, right now.

What about love? Love is that effervescent feeling that wafts from the heart, leaving you on top of the world and better for it. The beauty of the heart is that it is so close. Open its door and let the contents spill out. Practice on small things like a flower, a peach, a dog, then move to grander targets like a walk on the beach, a starry sky, or a heavenly concert. Beyond this, that love can grow to all sorts of things and all sorts of people, until the whole day is filled with love.

Not only is the heart close, but it is in the center of a person, more precisely, is the center of a person. So, as a person loves, he or she benefits by its emanations first and foremost. Those vibrations go through the loving person on the way to something or someone outside. That’s how to be in love. Create your own ocean of this good stuff. Let it fill every nook and cranny of yourself and then spill out to all that is around you. At that point your special person, who is meant just for you, can’t help but show up. He or she will be caught up in the stream and whirled into sight.

So there, go ahead, be in love now, and then you’ll be ready to truly be in love with. Because you know this is true, smile until you do!

Much love to you all!
Johanna

 

Wrapped in Love & Devotion August 18, 2009

Vacation is over, summer is soon gone, budget season has kicked off – the fall is here. The great thing with living in San Francisco is that the annual Indian Summer is soon to arrive (September – November is the best time to visit!) What a bonus! Also; Rusty Wells is back with some loving kick-butt yoga. Last night I attended the more mellow class.

Mellow Flow is an opportunity to connect with the interiorization of ones practice. There is a strong emphasis on connecting the breath with each and every movement and micromovement of the body. Students are invited to work as deeply as they desire. The environment is set to complement the quiet nature of this all-level flow experience. Come find yourself wrapped in love and devotion.

That can’t be wrong?! The door opens at 8pm and I am met by this heat wave from a slightly heated room filled with 100 students. The yogis are soaking wet, with a relaxed smile on their faces, people are meeting and greeting, the lounge type music is pumping in the back-ground while they leave the room and a new group of 100 students are finding their space with their mats on the floor. Yep – those classes are popular.

The class starts. It goes from heartfelt chanting to pretty intense poses. I am keenly aware that the strength that I have built up needs to be focused and present. I am wondering where or how will the feeling of being wrapped in love and devotion show up?

Suddenly I find myself in a position as if I am trying to make a knot of myself. Some kind of Marichyasana – a squat position with the left arm thrown around my bent left leg from the front side and back, and the other arm in the other direction around my back, fingers locked together in the level of my waist. Rusty guides something like: “let go of all the struggle and breathe into this place. Let go of the intensity and density. Breathe deeply, relax your jaws and smile. Open up and make space and rest in that you are exactly in the right spot right now.” Mmm… that’s what the class description related to. It totally shifted the experience.

In what situation in your daily life can this serve you?

Wrap your arms around your self and give yourself a big warm hug. Let go of any struggle, take a deep breath and know that you are exactly in the right spot, right now.

Enjoy!
Johanna

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When Life Gets Busy August 12, 2009

IMG_2238When life gets busy and starts running a little faster then yourself in terms of activities, ambitions, responsibilities, thoughts and ideas – then it’s very easy to fall out of a healthy track. It’s very easy due to the excitement or dedication to skip a meal, to eat at awkward times, to prioritize the “to do” and “just finish up” rather than the break, the fruit, the workout.

Whenever life has been too busy and there has been a sense of insufficiency or a problem unsolved my dad’s standard advice has always been: “go for a run!” Work out.

It is so true – whenever I do I come back relaxed with a sense of tiredness AND recharged, full of energy and strength – isn’t that an awesome combination?! How many times have I almost not done it, and afterwards felt like the happiest individual on earth? And how many times has THAT idea or solution come up during a run in the forest? Many. I shouldn’t need to remind myself. I’m sure you don’t need a reminder either.

With activities gearing up at my daytime job, coaching awesome clients in my spare time job, and ideas forming and contacts are being made for my future job… I do sense a need of staying close to myself in terms of routines and piece of mind. Having a structure in life that feeds you and keeps you on track can be immensely valuable. It may be going for a run, a yoga session or to the gym regularly in the morning. It may be meditating or journaling. Making sure you get your sleep. It may be cooking your own food and socializing with friends and family. It may be simplifying things and having a very tidy home. Clean car. It may be cranking up the music and releasing all your extra energy in a tribal dance in your living room!? :O

What tools or routines do you have to stay on track when life gets busy?

Johanna

 

Sweat Your Prayers! July 6, 2009

Filed under: Health,Inspiration — Johanna C. Nilsson @ 9:43 pm
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What a weekend. It’s such a treat to have really good friends. Even better to have them nearby. Even if it’s just for a couple of days. My room mate from 10 years back when I lived in Geneva and her boyfriend came visiting. They were up for an American experience… sort of.

The first thing I take them to is my favorite French restaurant Gamine (prev. Chez Maman). There are so many great restaurants in San Francisco – but whenever I get someone close for a visit that’s where I steer my steps. It’s warm, familiar, friendly, intimate, fun – great owners and great steak. The menu worked out perfectly for vegetarians too we learnt.

And so comes 4th of July! How American can it be?? Beautiful weather, sun was shining, and jazz tunes were playing at the Fillmore Jazz Festival. We got a chance to take a photo shot with Obama. The big question was – where are all the flags?!!? We really had to look for them – oops, and there was one! The one who searches he will find… 

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Finally!The one who seeks he finds...!
Celebrating the actual independance day on a boat with a melting pot of nationalities, right by Pier 39, with the best view of the fireworks – that’s how good it gets. Thank you Einar for hosting!  

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In order to calm our mind and deepen the experience I took them to something very “Californian” Sunday morning. Sweat Your Prayers! – Five Rhythm [The Wave] Moving Meditation Practice. We arrive at the gymnastic hall in Sausalito where it takes place. You need to be there an hour in advance to guarantee a spot – the two 2-hour sessions for 150 people each do get sold out. There is a beautiful crowd of people, from all different paths of life. By the entrance sits a group singing to the guitar “… love is our religion…”   

The intention for the day was Celebrating the Freedom of Movement. The medicine of the dance. To move through limitations of our body. And to celebrate the near and dear who have left us, celebrate that they are no longer captured in their bodies. The moving meditation begins. The wave created with the different rhythms is impactful and the experience is profound. The joy is present. At some point it feels like this would be the best warm-up for the carnival in Rio. But what do I know – I haven’t been there yet. Maybe it’s the other way around! :O “This was a very personal experience. A very special souvenir that I will bring back from San Francisco.” was the comment from my friend. 

After Dim Sums in China town, shopping around Union Square and visit to the Apple Flagship store we go for dinner at Café Gratitude, another local special. Vegan, live food. River of Abundance game. Everywhere on the walls is artwork with different special messages. “What you choose to focus on creates the experience. Choice Choice Choice…. ”  All the menu items are in the form of affirmations – we had among other items “I am rejuvenated”, “I am succulent” and “I am cheerful!”. It was a very cheerful day indeed. 

Coming home today, the house was empty. My friends had left. I walked into the kitchen to make myself some tea and cereal for a light dinner. Opens the cupboard and finds a new green cereal bowl! With the text in it: “What are you grateful for?” Imagine looking down in that bowl during breakfast every morning. What would you say?

I am truly grateful for dear friends. Thank you Simone and Ramun.
Johanna 

 

 

What are you Grateful for?

What are you grateful for?

 

 

Take PRIDE in who you are July 1, 2009

I took the sub downtown Sunday to see a little bit of the Pride Parade. (I guess it is called Bart, but I never use it, that alone was an adventure. Now I am getting side tracked – but using the map quest app on your iPhone, and checking how to go from A to B by train or bus – it is so smooth! It tells you what bus to take and when it takes off, and of course how long time it takes. You probably already knew this…). Pride. What a colorful folk feast, full with joy and celebration! “I am proud of my straight parents”, “I am proud of my gay son”, “Let the sun shine… “

It reminded me of when a very good friend of mine stayed with me for a couple of months, while doing a leadership program together two years ago. I had turned my storage space/walk in closet into a combined guest room. He was laughing one morning saying “This feels like coming out of the closet every day!” He is someone who takes pride in who he is, and he is a great role model for others in his community. Recently he opened what has become the #1 bar for lesbians, gays and other positive people in Iceland: “Barbara Sunshine”, where people dance their way out of the recession. I would love to join the dance floor!

What are you hiding in the closet? What talents are you keeping for your self, not sharing with others? Which piece of yourself have you not given attention that is time to let bloom? Share the beauty! Have fun with it. Join a community. For my own joy and self-development I recently joined a few Meet up groups: 1. San Francisco Entrepreneurs, 2. Les Ami(e)s des Francophone and 3. SF Karaoke! Meetup is such a great thing where you can easily dive into your area of interest together with others who have the same passion. If you can’t find a group or live in a country where it doesn’t exist – create it!

Creating joy. Yesterdays issue of the Yoga Journal had an article about Meditation to Invoke Joy. I was happy to read a formal “formula” for it that I could share – I have literally just gone through the process, and it worked for me. My bottom line prescription would be slightly different: 1. Connect with a feeling of absolute joy and happiness that fills your whole body. 2. Repeat it for 5 minutes, 3 times a day, for a month. It works. You simply reprogram your system and your cells get very familiar and addicted to the feeling of joy. Do you want what I have? ;) Try it!

Take pride in who you are, and let the sun shine!

Johanna

 

And the Winner is… June 27, 2009

Earlier this week I attended the Big Success Business Pitch Summer Contest, organized by the San Francisco Entrepreneurs Meetup Group. These were the five contestants who all made a fantastic job presenting their companies:

  1. Bill Brobeck – Chief Technical Officer Brobeck Solar Energy
  2. Meghan Connolly Haupt – Founder of Sulusso
  3. Ben Lewis – Founder of Engage As You Age
  4. Hilary DeCesare - Co-founder and CEO of Girl Ambition and
  5. Dan Porras, Founder & CEO of Planetwize

The winner selected by both the panel and the audience was Ben Lewis– Founder of Engage As You Age.

At Engage As You Age, LLC, we offer far more than friendly companionship; we know how to rekindle an older adult or senior’s involvement with contemporary life.

We’re not a caregiving company. What we are is a unique organization that carefully pairs insured, bonded, and trained employees with clients who share similar interests and passions. We personalize all of our matches to ensure that you or your loved one’s temperament and interests mesh well with those of a carefully selected activity specialist.

Our 2- to 3- hour visits are a surprisingly cost-effective way to bolster intellectual and emotional well-being. Our services are based on our belief that seniors deserve more than a life focused on meds and maintenance.

That is very cool. Connect our elderlys to their passion, and make them live a prolonged happier and healthier life. Being a promoter of music myself, I think Dan Porras had an interesting solution with the Planetwize: promoting music for a cause, with a business model that supports the musicians. I was only there to listen and learn…

It reminded me of a presentation course I took with Dale Carnegie in Stockholm some 15 years ago. At every session we gave short presentations, and there were contests in different categories. The winner was guided to give a Thank you speech following their 3-step model, which as my memory recalls was as follows: 1. Thank you, and express garatitude/appreciation. 2. This prize/token/award will always remember me of… 3. Thank you.

I had the honor of receiving such an award at the last session of the course, and the “Dale Carnegie Winner” Pen that I received would always remember me of a story that the leader shared during the first session. It was about jumping grasshoppers. You can soon read the story in my about page – but basically, I would always thrive to and encourage others to live and act as free as grasshoppers naturally do. Hm. Maybe that is what I still do now, with the Dale Carnegie Winner Pen in a different format. OK – so let’s go…

Aim high, and jump! The winner is you.

Johanna

 

 
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