Day 11: 2017 A Not So Random Year of Kindness

Hello darlings, happy Thursday. Today I want us to go back to the basic act of engaging and connecting with people on a deeper level through kindness.  Every one of us needs to feel noticed, accepted, respected, and valued. So today, I want you to notice someone, then notice something good about them and tell them.

Be kind. Be honest.  Any kind honest compliments or observations, no matter how small, will have an impact. Spread the love! Spread the nice! And share your smile!

Share stories of your kindness quest with us here and use the hashtags #kindnessquest #reikibabieskindnesstribe #todaysplannedactofkindness and #2017anotsorandomyearofkindness so we can keep our stories together.

#beniceandspeakup #bekindandhonest #sharethehappy #reikibabieschangetheworld  #dailyactsofkindness #dailyactsoflove #practicereiki #meditation #reiki #zentangle #teacher #czt #rmt #gratitude #justfortoday #theprinciplesofreiki #mindfulness #breathe #showcompassiontoyourselfandothers #sharethis #joinus #plannedactsofkindness #randomactsofkindness #bekind #letsdothis #reikiwithmariepsa #photobymydaughter #seniorincollege #studyabroad #Japan #nofilter

Day 10: 2017 A Not So Random Year of Kindness

Holding on to anger is toxic.

If this powerful emotion isn’t handled appropriately, it may have destructive results for us and those closest to us. Psychologically, uncontrolled anger can lead to arguments, physical fights, physical abuse, assault and even self-harm.  Physiologically, our bodies react instantly as the anger triggers our ‘fight or flight’ response. Our adrenal glands flood the body with stress hormones, then the brain shunts blood away from the gut and sends it towards the muscles, to prepare us for the physical exertion of fighting hard or running fast and far. Our heart rate, blood pressure and respiration increases, and our body temperature rises and we perspire.

This flood of stress chemicals can cause real short term health issues, including:

* headache

* digestion problems, and abdominal pain

* insomnia

* increased anxiety

* depression

* high blood pressure

* skin problems, such as eczema

* heart attack

Over time, recurrent unmanaged anger and the constant flow of these stress hormones can cause metabolic changes that could eventually cause permanent harm to many different systems in the body.

We  all know that holding on to anger is psychologically and physically damaging and still, forgiveness can be SO difficult!

How do we start?

Breathe! Then use your frontal lobes, darlings, and THINK! Fly above the emotion for a minute. Observe. Tap your inner scientist (yes! You have one! We all do) and watch what's happening to you. You'll notice, when you still your mind while you're angry, that there is tremendous clarity. This is a scientific fact. The rush of chemicals to our brains sharpen and focus our minds. Using this clarity, we can channel our anger in a way that can motivate us to make positive changes. After all, the evolutionary purpose of our physical reaction to anger is to make us do something so we survive. We can choose to make this a positive opportunity to go beyond just surviving. It can be an opportunity to get one step closer to enlightenment and to better mental and physical health.

So today, my darlings, your act of kindness is to forgive someone who did you wrong. It can be a recent hurt or an old scar, it doesn't matter. It's like opening your emotional baggage and taking out a brick. You don't need it. It's heavy. It's time to lighten the load.

Share your thoughts and use the hashtags #reikibabieskindnesstribe #todaysplannedactofkindness and #2017anotsorandomyearofkindness #FORGIVE so we can support each other.

#reikibabieschangetheworld #dailyactsofkindness #dailyactsoflove #practicereiki #meditation #reiki #zentangle #teacher #czt #rmt #gratitude #justfortoday #theprinciplesofreiki #showcompassiontoyourselfandothers #sharethis #joinus #plannedactsofkindness #randomactsofkindness #bekind #letsdothis #reikiwithmariepsa

Day 9: 2017 A Not So Random Year of Kindness

Today we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In honor of his great spirit and his devotion to civic duty and responsibility, Americans around the country are serving their communities all day today. Tonight I volunteer with a group of friends and local musicians at St. John's Hospice for Homeless Men in Center City, Philadelphia. A prefect day for our monthly Music Night. We bring karaoke, speakers for our musicians to plug into, and provide percussion instruments for anyone wanting to join along. It's a joyous noise and a great time.

So for your act of kindness today, I want you to think of how you can give back to your community. Think small. Think local. How can you find a way to share your good fortune? A donation of your TIME ishe most powerful act of kindness you can preform.  If you love animals, think of spending time with some love starved kittens and puppies at the ASPCA. Reach out to an elderly friend who may be lonely. Mentor a child that needs a caring adult in their lives. Give Blood. Become an organ donor.  Volunteer at a hospital or hospice. Cook for people in need (through a food bank or your church.) Share your unique skills with people who need them. Don't want to leave the house? Write to a US soldier and thank them for their service to our country.

There are so many ways to help!

If you would like to serve with your friends, family and neighbors, it's not too late! Search for an opportunity near you and get out there and serve!

https://www.nationalservice.gov/mlkday

Do you already volunteer?

Tell us about it. Share your stories with us here and use the hashtags #reikibabieskindnesstribe #todaysplannedactofkindness and #2017anotsorandomyearofkindness so we can keep our stories together.

#martinlutherkingjr #mlkday #reikibabieschangetheworld#dailyactsofkindness #dailyactsoflove #practicereiki #meditation #reiki #zentangle #teacher #czt #rmt #gratitude #justfortoday #theprinciplesofreiki #mindfulness #breathe #showcompassiontoyourselfandothers #sharethis #joinus #plannedactsofkindness #randomactsofkindness #bekind #letsdothis #reikiwithmariepsa #photobyme #nofilter

Day 8: 2017 A Not So Random Year of Kindness

Hi everyone 😘

So grateful for the long weekend and a chance to recoup and recover from this icky sticky awful chest cold/flu that's going around. I'm cool with a few weeks of "sick me" every winter, this however, is obnoxious. Sadly, it's been more than a pain for babies, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems. Allot of them are going from a bad cold to pneumonia. This is a real danger for any of our weaker friends and family who may already have this baaaaad bug.

Your act of kindness today:

Is to check in on someone you care about. Make sure someone you love is well and knows you care. Maybe they're one of the more susceptible people in your family or community?

Share your thoughts and stories with us here and use the hashtags #reikibabieskindnesstribe #todaysplannedactofkindness and #2017anotsorandomyearofkindness so we can keep our stories together.

#reikiwithmariepsa 

Day 7: 2017 A Not So Random Year of Kindness

Hi everyone 😁 it's a gorgeous day in Philadelphia! Warm! People are smiling and enjoying. It's a good thing! I want us to add to this good feeling by working on our mindfulness. Mindfulness is being aware of what we're feeling as we're feeling it. Then living in mindfulness is CHOOSING how we respond to things instead of allowing our instincts to kick in and hijack us into reacting without forethought. Today let's focus on our emotional awareness. When something happens and you get angry today, I want you to pause. Take a breath. What are you physically feeling? Is your chest tight? Are you breathing faster? Are you gritting your teeth? Is your back stiff? Are your eyebrows furrowed? Are you scowling or are your lips pursed? This self examination takes a second. It took you longer to read about it than it will take you to do. So access your physical body's reaction to stress or anger. Take three SLOW DEEP breaths and check back with yourself. What are you feeling now? Write it down.

That was mindfulness: lesson 1.

Baby steps, my loves. 💖

Share your thoughts and stories with us here and use the hashtags #reikibabieskindnesstribe #todaysplannedactofkindness and #2017anotsorandomyearofkindness so we can keep our stories together.

#reikibabieschangetheworld #dailyactsofkindness #dailyactsoflove #practicereiki #meditation #reiki #zentangle #teacher #czt #rmt #gratitude #justfortoday #theprinciplesofreiki #mindfulness #selfaware #breathe #showcompassiontoyourselfandothers #sharethis #joinus #plannedactsofkindness #randomactsofkindness #bekind #letsdothis #reikiwithmariepsa #photobyme #nofilter

Day 6: 2017 A Not So Random Year of Kindness

Hello my darlings. I've been in bed, blissfully asleep thanks to #NyQuil Severe, and I am, thankfully, almost back to mostly healthy. The cough is lingering but the fever seems to have been permanently banished! Yaaay!

Feeling better after a rotten loooooong long flu reminds us how fragile we really are. All it takes is a microscopic bug to knock us on our bottoms! One minute you're running around, busy, active and productive, then BAM💥 you're in bed shivering under a pile of covers, unable to breath or swallow, wishing for death to stop toying with you. (You know we all get a little dramatic when we're sick, lol) 💖So today's act of kindness has to do with this concept of feeling icky. Do you know someone stuck at home sick? Or worse, miserably sick and at work? Maybe you know someone with a chronic illness or pain, or someone battling a disease? Anyone you can think of whether young or old, family, or friend, it doesn't matter who... REACH OUT! Reach out to someone that's hurting physically and just say "Hi, how're you feeling today? I was thinking about you." and LISTEN. That's it. Talk. Share. Care!! It's a small act; a few minutes out of your relatively healthy life, and it can make such a difference in a person's day. A dear friend came over yesterday and got me out of the house to get some groceries and chicken soup. When I got back, I went right to bed feeling so much better! That time shared and small chat helped so much. Remember, even if you are ill and battling for your health too, you can still reach out to someone else whose hurting and needs empathy. Make a call, send a text, smoke signals, carrier pigeons, anything to consciously and purposefully reach out and show compassion and empathy to someone who's not feeling well!!

Share your thoughts and stories with us here and use the hashtags #reikibabieskindnesstribe #todaysplannedactofkindness and #2017anotsorandomyearofkindness so we can keep our stories together.

#reikibabieschangetheworld #dailyactsofkindness #dailyactsoflove #practicereiki #meditation #reiki #zentangle #teacher #czt #rmt #gratitude #reikiwithmariepsa #photobyme #nofilter #philadelphia

Day 5: 2017 A Not So Random Year of Kindness

Today is simple! Give someone your FULL attention when you are talking to them today. Put down your phone and really listen! If you're addicted to social media or can't stop checking your texts, start with one person. I don't want you going through withdrawals. Seriously. One person gets your full undivided attention!! If you can do a second person, DO IT! Can you go all day? Can you offer everyone you converse with the pleasure of your attentive company? Sounds simple and like a basic courtesy. It's not anymore, so when you actually DO pay attention, some people might feel a little uncomfortable. It's ok. Reassure them you're not psychotic, you are simply trying something new.  Remember our goal is basic kindness. It's nice to pay attention when someone is talking to us. Being nice is also being kind. Today will be easy peasy for some of you and super difficult for others, work at your own pace. One baby step at a time.

Be sure to tell us how it went and use the hashtags #reikibabieskindnesstribe #todaysplannedactofkindness and #2017anotsorandomyearofkindness to keep us posted.

#putdownthephone #smile #listen #loveyourself #shareyourlove #reikibabieschangetheworld #dailyactsofkindness #dailyactsoflove #practicereiki #meditation #reiki #zentangle #teacher #czt #rmt #gratitude #justfortoday #theprinciplesofreiki #showcompassiontoyourselfandothers #sharethis #joinus #plannedactsofkindness #randomactsofkindness #bekind #letsdothis #reikiwithmariepsa #photobyme

Day 4: 2017 A Not So Random Year of Kindness

Thank you for being such wonderful followers (and Reiki Babies) and joining me on this journey!

On to day 4!

Tonight is a continuation of our last act of kindness. Remember, the theme is kindness to yourselves. So again, tonight I want you to write down three things you like about yourself. Three reasons you're grateful to be YOU!

Look at what you wrote yesterday, no repeating! Now you have six things that you can look in the mirror and smile about. Remember that loving ourselves is the key to learning how to love others. Reread and take the 6 things with you tomorrow morning when you start your day and remember our first day... smile!

Love you guys. Hope you had a great weekend. See you in the morning.

Tell us about your experiences and use the hashtags #reikibabieskindnesstribe #todaysplannedactofkindness and #2017anotsorandomyearofkindness so we can find you.

#cuban #cubantime #highlyimperfect #imnotlateonthrwestcoast #SMILE #reikibabieschangetheworld #photobyme #nofilter

Day 3: 2017 A Not So Random Year of Kindness

Got to you guys late tonight, and that's ok, because today's assignment is to write down 3 things you like about yourself and are grateful for before you go to sleep.

Write it down in a journal, notebook or a piece of paper. Tonight we're going to show ourselves a little kindness with three little self compliments.

Try it. Have it handy in the morning, because I want you to read these three things about yourself when you wake up.

Starting off the day with the intention of really liking who you are will put your mind in a place of acceptance and self love. It's important we understand that when we learn to be kind to ourselves, we begin to be capable of sharing that love, sense of confidence, and well being, with other people. It's really hard to give away something you don't have for yourself. Start the kindness with YOU!

Love yourselves, darlings. We're starting nice and slow, with three little things you like about you. We'll build on this through the year. Baby steps.

From tiny acorns do mighty oak trees grow! Let's consciously and purposefully work on this.

Share your thoughts and use the hashtags #reikibabieskindnesstribe #todaysplannedactofkindness and #2017anotsorandomyearofkindness

#journal #writeitdown #loveyourself #threethingsyourgratefulfor #reikibabieschangetheworld #dailyactsofkindness #dailyactsoflove #practicereiki #meditation #reiki #zentangle #teacher #czt #rmt #gratitude #justfortoday #theprinciplesofreiki #showcompassiontoyourselfandothers #sharethis #joinus #plannedactsofkindness #randomactsofkindness #bekind #letsdothis #reikiwithmariepsa #photobyme #nofilter

Day 2: 2017 A Not So Random Year of Kindness

SMILE! It's Friday and that's a good thing! So today's Planned Act of Kindness is to SMILE! Share your smile with everyone you see today, family, coworkers, acquaintances, strangers... I mean literally everyone!! Look them in the eyes and SMILE!! If your experience is anything like mine have been, you'll be amazed the power of showing your teeth has over people's moods. So often in our daily lives we walk past people, intense and wrapped in our thoughts and worries and ourselves. We walk around looking down at the ground, not making any contact whatsoever, in fact, most of the time, we are purposefully avoiding contact. This attempted anonymity is the default setting for most of us and as a result, at first, the act of looking someone in the eyes and smiling can be overwhelming and almost too personal.

If you don't wear your heart on your sleeve and reaching out to strangers isn't part of your daily routine, it might feel weird and uncomfortable. I promise that if you keep with it and gently push yourself out of your comfort zone, you'll be really surprised and delighted at how much joy a simple little smile can pass along.

And so we continued on our journey as we embark on our second day of changing the world one kind act at a time!

Be sure to tell us about your experiences and use the hashtags #reikibabieskindnesstribe #todaysplannedactofkindness and #2017anotsorandomyearofkindness to keep us informed.

 #SMILE #reikibabieschangetheworld #dailyactsofkindness #dailyactsoflove #practicereiki #meditation #reiki #zentangle #teacher #czt #rmt #gratitude #justfortoday #theprinciplesofreiki #showcompassiontoyourselfandothers #sharethis #joinus #plannedactsofkindness #randomactsofkindness #bekind #letsdothis #reikiwithmariepsa #photobyme #nofilter

Happy 2017!!

Hello my Reiki babies, 🎉Happy 2017!! 🎉 This morning, I was going through some old papers and I ran across my December 2016 kindness advent calendar (complete with suggested daily acts of planned out niceness.) I followed along and encouraged friends and family to join me. It was a sweet idea and great way to count down to the holidays.

Then seeing this today, I'm wondering why we have to stop?

What if we carry that idea forward into 2017? What if each one of us chose to do something nice for someone everyday of this new year? How would it make us feel? How would it make the recipient of the kindness feel? How many ripples of happiness and gratitude can we send out?

I want to know the answers to these questions! I want us to shift our attitude to one of kindness and gratitude. Who will join me?!? Every few days I will post a suggestion for a "Planned Act Of Kindness." One little thing you can do that will make someone feel good or smile.

LET'S MAKE 2017 A NOT SO RANDOM YEAR OF KINDNESS!!! Today is Day 1:

Tell a friend about this plan. Share the idea of doing one planned out act of kindness each day. Bring one person into the tribe, then they'll bring one person who'll do the same and our numbers will grow! Get ready to spread the love!

Be sure and tell us about your journey, add the hashtags #reikibabieskindnesstribe #todaysplannedactofkindness, and #2017anotsorandomyearofkindnessso we can follow along.

#reikibabieschangetheworld#dailyactsofkindness #dailyactsoflove #practicereiki #meditation #reiki #zentangle #teacher #czt #gratitude #sharethis #joinus #PlannedActsOfKindness #randomactsofkindness #bekind #letsdothis #reikiwithmariepsa #photobyme #nofilter

At the Core of The Principles of Reiki: Just For Today...

   the 5 Principles of Usui Reiki:

• Just for today, do not be angry
• Just for today, do not worry
• Just for today, be grateful
• Just for today, work honestly
• Just for today, be compassionate to yourself and others

At the heart of each Reiki precept is the concept of "just for today" which is so much more important than we first think it is. Within the Precepts we find great tools to overcome the upheaval caused by change. Each of these Precepts relate to a specific key to peaceful interactions as we walk through our lives. All of them have one thing in common: Just For Today.  By choosing to live mindfully in the present, we can work on our lives one day at a time.
Realize that "Just for today" only works when you live in today.

Getting stuck in the past:
Our perceptions of our past can be tricky. They can propel us to greatness or hold us hostage. 
It makes me sad that so many of us are fighting with the ghosts of our old demons. The actual demons are long gone, yet we allow the memory of them to terrorize us by dragging us back to an old pain or trauma.
Sometimes the scars left from the past house these ghosts and when something or someone picks at them, it triggers an instant memory of what it felt like to get that scar. Sometimes we remember the actual occasion or instant that we were hurt, but usually we only remember the awful feeling it left behind.
When we don't remember the source of the pain, what happened and why, we're left reacting to situations happening now with feelings about an event from our past.  We can't feel better and we can't learn from it.
I do it. It drives me nuts when I catch myself. I'll have a visceral reaction to a random comment or action and I react defensively.  I'm usually over reacting. Over the years I've learned to recognize the signs. Often the sign is the perplexed look of the person I'm directing my confusing behavior towards. Then, I breathe. I slow my mind down. I think and I gradually come to the realization that I'm wrestling with a painful memory not a current issue.  
That allows me to calm down and release the pain because it's not real and doesn't actually pertain to what's going on. I can separate the pain from the present if I can recognize the trigger or catch myself before I get swallowed by the ghost and react to the past.

Getting caught up in the uncertainty of the future:

The past isn't the only pitfall. The many "what ifs" about what's to come can slam dance in our brain and be mind boggling. The unknown can be frightening, and fear can color our decisions.  At its best, focusing on the future can give us direction and goals to strive towards.  At its worst, putting all our focus on the future can cause unfounded fear. Our fear filled imaginations can cause us to become paralyzed and unable to make decisions; we may be lead to suffer from anxiety; or this fear can make us choose what we perceive to be the path of least resistance, whether it is the best path for us or not. Just as our past is made up of memories of events long gone, our future is not real yet.  All of our perceptions and ideas are just that, perceptions and ideas.  They are not facts, they are not yet reality and they have no direct impact on the present, unless we act on them.

Learning to live "Just for today":

It takes practice and a willingness to face your past demons and your fears about the future. For me, this process was, and still is, not easy. It took years of looking at my inappropriate reactions and runaway fears, turning them over and questioning my thoughts and motives to get to a point where I could see the truth most of the time. Yes, this process takes time, and ultimately it is incredibly liberating!! Freedom from the hurt of the past and endless worry about the future is bliss. Take it one step at a time, one deep breath at a time.  Write your revelations. Read and reread what you've learned about yourself.  Do the work.
This self work is important and the rewards are well worth the effort.

Remember, to truly say "just for today I will..." you need to embrace and live in the reality of today. 

"Daily Meditation in 2016!" or "How About a Life Changing New Year's Resolution?"

As we start the new year off with a list of resolutions, let's take a minute to BREATHE... Then another minute... How about a few more? 

It feels so good! 

That's because it IS good for you!!  

"The meditation-and-the-brain research has been rolling in steadily for a number of years now, with new studies coming out just about every week to illustrate some new benefit of meditation. Or, rather, some ancient benefit that is just now being confirmed with fMRI or EEG. The practice appears to have an amazing variety of neurological benefits – from changes in grey matter volume to reduced activity in the “me” centers of the brain to enhanced connectivity between brain regions... (with) studies reporting that meditation helps relieve our subjective levels of anxiety and depression, and improve attention, concentration, and overall psychological well-being."  - Forbes 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2015/02/09/7-ways-meditation-can-actually-change-the-brain/

Mayo Clinic calls meditation:

"a simple, fast way to reduce stress."

http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/meditation/in-depth/meditation/art-20045858

It's science. It's a fact. 

An added plus is that meditation is at the heart of practicing reiki. It's only when we can still our minds and focus on our breathing that we can truly connect with and feel the flow of the energy in our bodies.

If you've never meditated and are intimidated by the prospect, that's ok, you're not alone. Take a deep breath and relax, you can do this! I tell my clients to jump on YouTube and look for guided meditations, read a book on how to meditate, take a meditation class or to take up yoga or Tai Chi. It's about focusing on your breathing and slowing down. All of these methods will get you started on that path.

Some of the main obstacles you'll encounter in the beginning are disruptions, both external and internal.  First take care of the external; find a good place to sit (lying down might be too relaxing) where you can be comfortable, alone and uninterrupted.  Once you are settled, you will begin to deal with the internal distractions. Everyone who meditates has distracting thoughts. The secret to dealing with these intrusive ideas is to acknowledge them, turn them into mental "photographs", and put them down one by one; you can deal with them after you're done with your focused breathing.  It's ok to have many many "photos" accumulate as you're first learning to meditate.  Be kind to yourself.  The purpose is to relax, not stress about how well you are relaxing. The key is to get started!

If you studied Reiki, then you"re already committed to practicing Reiki on yourself daily. Begin to add a few minutes of meditation to your routine and set a goal. If you are a student and don't practice Reiki on yourself everyday... What?!? Why not?! START!!! 

Water: An After Reiki Requirement

If you've had a Reiki with me, you've heard me say "Drink plenty of water for the next 3 days to flush out your system!"  After a Reiki session your body will begin to detoxify. To help the detoxification process, Reiki teachers recommend you drink lots of water following your treatment and over the next few days. In addition to water's benefits after an energy session, it's winter, and hydration is as important now as it is in the summer. As the temperatures outside gradually drop, we find ourselves near heaters, covered in layers of clothing. The artificial "hot" environments we create can cause dehydration. Drinking eight glasses of water a day helps our body maintain its fluid balance.

The National Center for Biotechnology Information says that water is:

"undoubtedly the most important nutrient and the only one whose absence will be lethal within days, understanding of water measurement and requirements are very important. The effects of water on daily performance and short and long-term health are quite clear. There are few negative effects of water intake and the evidence of positive effects is quite clear from the literature."

Despite all of the good it does, some of you have told me you don't like water or are a little bit sick of drinking plain water.

That's ok, there's nothing wrong with adding a little bit of flavor to your glass of hydration. Try some low calorie additions to your H2O:

• Mint
• Cucumbers
• Fruit (like berries, watermelon chunks, or orange slices)

All are super high in antioxidants and might encourage you to drink a little bit more! Women's Health Magazine suggests that:

"you can technically hydrate with water-rich foods like cucumbers, melons, celery or even soup with a light broth."

For some more great ideas, check out the About.com article Boring Water Be Gone.