Revel in what is here in the season of the sun with sweet sunsets, backyard BBQs and playful sundress wearing weather. If you live in San Francisco proper, perhaps a jaunt over one of the bridges for a taste of summer will help you feel the season more fully. And, here is a little summer sun poem for you, by Mary Oliver called THE SUN…

Have you ever seen
anything
in your life
more wonderful
than the way the sun,
every evening,
relaxed and easy,
floats toward the horizon
and into the clouds or the hills,
or the rumpled sea,
and is gone—
and how it slides again
out of the blackness,
every morning,
on the other side of the world,
like a red flower
streaming upward on its heavenly oils,
say, on a morning in early summer,
at its perfect imperial distance—
and have you ever felt for anything
such wild love—
do you think there is anywhere, in any language,
a word billowing enough
for the pleasure
that fills you,
as the sun
reaches out,
as it warms you
as you stand there,
empty-handed—
or have you too
turned from this world—
or have you too
gone crazy
for power,
for things?

Receive the sun,
Amy

IO Foot Reflexology, a 30-minute soothing pressure point treatment is a worthy add-on to any IO Massage. Often misunderstood, reflexology is an ancient art that is more than a fancy foot rub. Each IO Foot Reflexology treatment begins with hot towels to soothe and cleanse. Luxurious In Fiore Pedicure balms in peppermint, chamomile or ginger are used to help heal depending on the client’s needs and constitution:

1. Peppermint is cooling and a classic choice for relieving overburdened feet.
2. Chamomile is calming and subtle and promotes grounding for body and mind.
3. Ginger is warming and stimulates circulation for those who need a chi boost.

Happy feet could mean a very happy whole entire body!

Be good to your feet,
Amy

The quiet can be downright intoxicating or whatever the opposite of intoxicating is. When I’ve gotten really quiet, as quiet and still as I have ever been, on silent meditation retreats, I have sunk deep into love with the silence and it has perhaps been my very best teacher.

For some 8 years and counting as I write this, the phrase, “Practice Silence” has been one of our IO mantras and one that has held me so well through these last years of personal discovery and nudged me to try to find out who the heck I really am.

My quiet time has taught me about having mercy for myself, and others, and about patience, of which I am not naturally endowed. Ha! Boy, has that one challenged me. And the silence has taught me to hear better what is really going on for me and what’s going on around me in my worldly experience. It’s taught me slowness. And pause.

I have such gratitude for the quiet moments, for silence, an unshakable awe and respect. Oh how beautiful it is. Subtle. Echoing. Poignant, if you open up to really listen to the quiet and go deep.

Try some silence,

Amy

Lately I have been noticing just how regularly this happens to me. The constant isn’t what happens, it’s actually how I experience what happens that matters more. It’s how I feel about something that flavors the experience, not so much what it is. I am seeing quite clearly that under certain circumstances, the mundane really feels joyful, the painful can feel pretty tolerable and the pleasurable can actually feel downright boring. It all depends on the space I’m in.

Experiences we come to know one way aren’t often what we expected. Everything is changeable really, and shifting constantly, so learning to balance with whatever comes seems the wisest, most joyful path. It’s the Middle Path, as the Buddhists call it, and it’s the recipe of being grounded in awareness itself that brings the clearest, most unshakable quality of peace.

Now that’s awesome, if you ask me.

So I am taking another step toward uncovering ways of teaching myself how to experience moments more fully and without expectation, and be more childlike again in my moving through the world. And what helps? Anything that engages me in the present moment.

1. Meditation teaches a concentrated focus on my experience of the here and now.

2. Creative outlets connect me to playfulness and self-expression which activates my focus on the present.

3. Physical activity helps me feel my body and grounds me in the moment.

Basically, anything that gets us out of our thoughts about the past or future and into our current experience widens our ability to interface with what is happening now, in this very nanosecond.

Try at least one of these practices daily. See what you think. Notice how you feel. And remember…

It’s all changeable,
Amy

Now I don’t have a history of going to church much, even though I went to a Jesuit university. And I didn’t go regularly to church growing up, even though my family was technically Christian. But then again, Glide’s not your average church.

Although Glide is a Methodist church it has a policy of inclusion of all creeds, colors, sexual orientations and socioeconomic situations. There’s a little sermonizing and there’s A LOT of clapping and standing and singing.

I recommend it highly as an uplifting, fun and expressive way to spend a Sunday morning. There are two sessions, one at 9AM and another at 11AM. It’s a full house so come early if you want a great seat; otherwise take what you can get.

Inspire yourself and sing. Feel a sense of connection and community. Check out Glide sometime when looking for something empowering to do on Sunday in San Francisco. It left a golden glow in my heart the whole day. It seems to have that effect on people.

Sing out,
Amy

Sound familiar?

It’s helpful to remember that it’s just a brain and it’s doing its job. In fact, when the mind is generating a lot of thoughts it’s actually doing it’s job really well. Kudos, mind, even though you are a pain in my brain a lot of the time. When the mind is at work it’s often trying to protect me as the operating system for my body. After all it’s with thought that this operating system works better than any other animal on the planet.

But we humans are well served to remember that we are so much more than a brain and the mind that is our constant companion. And it’s been providing me with relief lately when my mind is heavy and busy and feeling too full of thoughts, to use that very brain to remember…

It’s only a mind,
Amy

To put it plainly, hot mineral water is a great way to soothe and relax both body and mind. Sulfur, one of the main components in hot springs, smells like hard boiled eggs but is actually great for your skin, hair and nails. (It’s actually a prominent component of the keratin in your body.)

Mineral water is detoxifying and cleansing and draws out impurities. It’s kind of like immersing yourself in a whole-body facial, and having fun while you do it.

Indian Springs, in historic Calistoga, is a great resort if you want to incorporate an entire spa experience into your trip. They’ve converted their hot springs into an Olympic-sized swimming pool replete with lounge chairs and umbrellas. Growing up, it was a place a journeyed yearly with my family for a little hot water and mud baths getaway.

Esalen’s hot springs, located on the side of a stunning cliff halfway down Highway 1 in Big Sur, offer hot springs infinity pools with a panoramic view of the plummeting cliffs and the Pacific ocean. You should see the view from the baths. It’s world class. They only offer public access to the springs in the middle of the night, which sounds kind of strange, but can actually be a great twist on a camping trip in one of the nearby state parks or sign up for a workshop (they offer almost everything under the sun) and stay on sight.

My personal favorite is Wilbur. My friend and rocking yoga teacher, Sarana Miller was born on the property itself and her father still owns it. On a recent getaway to Wilbur, I quickly remembered how to relax and forget my stresses (or perhaps boiled them away in hot water!?). The special sauce was the combination of country sun and warm, healing water. Their motto, “In all the World, No Waters Like These,” holds true for me. Not only does that environment relax my body nearly immediately, but it relaxes my knotted mind.

Other folks say they really like Orr Hot Springs (in Ukiah) which is a lot like Wilbur, I’ve heard. Harbin is another well-known favorite near San Francisco although I’ve heard it’s more of a scene so I’ve tended to shy away.

Click here for a directory of hot springs across California!

Take the waters,
Amy

In Buddhism, the word “sangha” traditionally means “community of monks”, and it comes originally from the Sanskrit or Pali for “coming together”. Although traditionally in Buddhism it denoted a gathering of spiritually attained, ordained Buddhist monks, in contemporary speak, it means more loosely any gathering of community.

The basic principle of the sangha is that coming together in a community with a like-minded group of spiritual practitioners will facilitate each member’s path to enlightenment.

Even in Western cities like San Francisco, there are Buddhist sanghas everywhere. I sometimes drop in on one in the Richmond called Urban Dharma. (It was founded by renowned meditation preacher Noah Levine after the publication of his seminal book Dharma Punx. More info here.) Or, when I’m in Marin I frequent my favorite sangha at Spirit Rock.

With these two Buddhist sanghas, when we gather it generally involves a brief seated meditation, followed by a themed talk on aspects on the path to spiritual awakening in real life.

After my recent retreat and adventures in Costa Rica, I am reminded of a looser definition of sangha that I’d like to share. To me, sangha is any positive-minded community that you consciously create or join with the goal of creating a bridge to your better side.

For instance, a consistent yoga practice at a studio (like IO) can start to take on the aura of a sangha. It’s a place, after all, where like-minded practitioners come together with the goal of clearing their heads, breathing deeply, and finding more peace in their lives.

Another type of sangha might be a book club. Or a women’s group. Or singing in a choir like the one at Glide Memorial here in San Francisco. In other words, any regular gathering where we meet to reclaim our better, more balanced selves.

After all, truth is one, paths are many.

This month at IO we are starting our very own Tuesday morning sangha (called IO Renewal Tuesdays) for our staff members which soon will probably open up to anyone who would like to attend for the IO Sitting Circle, special yoga classes, and fostering community. Stay tuned.

Finding sangha,
Amy

Equanimity is a calm abiding in a state of unemotional, compassionate and peaceful mind and it’s one of the core principles of Buddhist practice. Of course, it’s impossible for any of us only-partly-awakened folks to be equanimous all the time. This is a practice like any other. So we keep trying.

The point is to keep on keepin’ on. We aim for it, sometimes we fail, we forget, we lose our temper, sometimes we overreact and embarrass the heck out of ourselves… and then we remind ourselves gently and without judgment (on a good day) to come back. We practice this in ‘real time’ and in our ‘real life’, just like we do in meditation, with awareness as the goal.

Aside from our own state of peace and calm, there is an aspect of equanimity that concerns how we deal with other people’s “stuff”. It’s that place where we find an equal balance between being too involved (or even co-dependent) and being too detached.

I’ve found a few trick or treats on the path to equanimity:

1. When a friend comes to me with a problem, I invite my compassion and empathy to the party.
2. I focus on listening instead of giving advice. This one can be hard. But, less is more, here.
3. As Alanis Morissette screamed in her 1990s anthem, “I am NOT the doctor.” So when I am being most skillful, I help my friend talk through their own options. That’s far more empowering for them (although this way I don’t get to hear myself talk. Ha!).

From a yogic perspective, we all have to deal with our own karma. If we try to “fix” someone’s problem for them, we hijack their opportunity to work through their personal karma. Or to put it another way, if we step in to save the day then we know how to solve their issue, but do they? Often not.

And here’s yet another nuance of equanimity, and perhaps the hardest one of all to master: not letting the people who really bug us, bug us. They will likely still trigger us. We all have people who bother us. These preciously annoying creatures and moments are where powerful lessons are learned, even if it doesn’t always feel that way. And even if the lesson is to walk away from that relationship or experience.

If we learn to bring compassion to those extremely challenging (or just slightly annoying) situations and even to those people that trigger us the most, then folks, we’ve made some major progress on our path to equanimity.

Keep practicing,
Amy

That’s a quote I love, by James Michener. Pretty much covers it, right?

In a nutshell, this message captures how I aspire to treat my own life. Rather than compartmentalizing work versus personal time, I treat the two as extensions of one other. And while it hasn’t always been as clear as that for me, and it continues to be a work in progress, I love to integrate. When I practice taking my yoga “off the mat” and into the world, this integration brings more connection, balance, and breath to my experience.

I know it may be easier for me to set out on this goal of integrated work and play since I co-own a business and intentionally created an environment with more freedom to connect my life. And I know that for many of my friends who choose instead to work a “job” job, it can be a tougher project to stay connected to themselves at their 9-5.

Wise folks say that the key to success in a career (or even a job) is to find a way to get paid for what you already love to do. For myself, founding International Orange, fostering a wellness community, and developing a line of organic skin and hair care products that I truly believe in, has been very energizing and rewarding (although not always a breeze). And the adventure continues.

When we have the guts to seek out our own blessings, the world begins to morph for us and it can actually happen quickly. In the way that the choices we make open up certain doors for us, what we choose, becomes who we are. And we always have choices, as frightening as they may sometimes seem.

But if we still feel we can’t make a shift now, then what do we do? Make one anyway. Okay, but if we still aren’t ready to do that, then what? Then we find the part(s) of our job or situation that do feed us, and focus there. A calm, joyful attitude will open a window in the mind to let the breeze in.

Integrating,
Amy

A local sangha (or community) group called Urban Dharma that I drop into on some Friday nights in SF’s Richmond District, was started by Noah Levine and a group of folks who discovered Buddhism and meditation through their paths in recovery from substance abuse.

Meditation – and particularly in a sangha format – is such a powerful tool for helping us to get past our addictions, whatever they are. Insight meditation, in particular, helps us to connect to the emotions behind our cravings and learn to sit with our feelings, no matter how painful and difficult they may be.

A regular meditation practice helps me to stay grounded and real with myself. Because I sit every day, I am more inclined to pause and notice my behavior ‘off the cushion’, as we say. When I find myself mindlessly reaching for that cup of coffee or that second glass of wine I don’t even want, my witness voice pauses. Even that pause itself is helpful in affirming my personal awareness, regardless of if I choose to have the drink.

Certain friends of mine who really struggle with their addictions have found concrete relief through their participation in sanghas and their exploration of Buddhism. Although I myself have not attended, I’ve heard of a group that meets at the Zen Center every Monday night at 7:30. It’s an alternative to AA if that format or the traditional ‘higher power’ verbiage and philosophy doesn’t compute.

One of the most empowering aspects of meditation, in my mind, is that it encourages us to find the higher power within, or, to put it another way, to surrender to the fact that even if we believe in a higher power, it’s not going to make our decisions for us or walk our path for us. That’s our own job, task or privilege, depending on our perspective.

And cultivating faith within this landscape is wise work. It helps us walk on our own, without the crutches.

Have faith,
Amy

If you take a workshop on dreamboarding, they’ll often kick it off with a visualization meditation to help get you “in the mood” which I have yet to try, but sounds like a helpful idea.

Think of that special something you are seeking. It might be tangible, like a home or a car or a new dress. Maybe you’ve been thinking about getting a pet but haven’t known how to find the right one. Or for a lot of us, it’s a partnership that we envision. Perhaps your dream is more esoteric. World peace? Inner bliss?

Whatever it is (and it can really be anything), you can construct it on paper. All you need is a piece of cardboard backing (the side of a box works fine), some old magazines or catalogs, glue and scissors.

What I love about dreamboarding is that it brings out creativity (the inner artist), and as you may know from past blogs, I’m a firm believer that we all have one. At the same time, it’s a powerful manifestation tool. While the process of making a dreamboard is in itself so empowering, the art that you create through the process can be a tangible visual reminder to yourself to stay on track with your dream-goals, your deepest desires.

I like to hang my dreamboard in a place where I see it each day. Sometimes I feel private about it so I keep it in my bedroom. But sometimes I want to share it and expand the power of it by allowing other people to see it, which I like to imagine might make the manifestation power of the dreamboard exponentially stronger!

Dare to dreamboard,
Amy

Recently I blogged about the chakra system and how it can be used as a metaphor for healing the various aspects of ourselves that make us whole, happy human beings.

I also respond learning about the animal totem system employed by native peoples of the world and namely the Native American traditions. Animal totems are an aspect of paganism that ground us in our connection to the natural world.

In the shamanic traditions, animal spirits are considered our “allies” and are aligned with us to guide and lead us through our lives with their intrinsic, intuitive wisdom. One resource I found calls animal totems “imaginary guides on your life journey”.

For instance, if you are going through a phase in your life of feeling overly dependant on others, the cat might be your animal totem for channeling feelings of independence and solitude. The frog is a totem of personal transformation and metamorphosis.

For me, an animal totem that shows up lately is the skunk. Don’t laugh! Shamanic belief is that skunks teach us to assert ourselves and garner the respect that we are due. Skunks are fearless, yet peaceful…. two qualities I strive to attain in harmony with each other.

Not surprisingly, those with a skunk totem are also strong advocates and users of scent in their lives. Being that aromatherapy is a huge part of my business and one of my personal passions, that makes sense.

When I see a skunk, instead of freaking out, I have a much more friendly and inquisitive response. Of course I’m still not going to let her spray me.

The most powerful aspect of the belief in animal totems, in my mind, is the reminder that we are a part of nature. Being more aware of our interactions with the animals in our lives -whether they are house pets, urban pests, or country wildlife – helps to bring us back into harmony with our true nature as natural creatures.

Not every healing system works for everyone. The trick is to find ones that speak to you, that jive, and then use it as a doorway to learn more about yourself. Let these doorways be your Bridge to Your Better Side.

Listening to the animals,
Amy

The chakra system is a perfect example of this.

A lot of us are into yoga. We love the physical practice, the calming effect, and even some of the more exotic rituals like chanting and breathing practices. But when teachers start talking about chakras, many of us glaze over.

As Western thinkers, it’s easy to write off the idea of chakras as a hocus-pocus new age idea with no tangible link to our physical beings. But within this ancient Sanskrit belief system, I believe there is a lot to be learned about our present-day relationship to physical, mental and spiritual balance.

In the most basic terms, chakras are energy centers in the body. We have seven of them:

1. Muladhara (the root chakra)
   
2. Swadhisthana (the sacral chakra)
   
3. Manipura (the solar plexus chakra)
   
4. Anahata (the heart chakra)
   
5. Vishuddha (the throat chakra)
   
6. Ajna (the third eye chakra)
   
7. Sahasrara (the crown chakra)
   

Working with our chakras – even as symbols of how we treat ourselves – gives us an opportunity to create real transformation within us. Visualize the connection between your chakras, and you take a step toward Building a Bridge between what may seem like disconnected parts of yourself, but are actually intrinsically linked.

For instance, when the link between your heart and throat chakras is blocked, you will have trouble communicating your feelings and intentions clearly. Yoga asanas or breathing exercises that serve to open up the chakras and connect them together can help you bring attention and awareness to your lines of communication.

The fact that this energy system is typically illustrated with beautiful drawings and vivid colors and symbols shows how the chakras are integral to your own creative nature (and you do have one).

Chakra-love,
Amy

I cherish the dialogue these conversations can foster, and hope to incite and inspire a sense of community. In my own community, I have a ground rule I try to stick to.

Spend most of my time with people who like me for who I am (not what I might be able to do for them or what I might become someday, but who I am as is). Easier said than done?

Now you are thinking, “obviously that would be nice but is that even possible?” Yes, I know it’s possible and I think it’s incredibly important. On the flip side, it’s important to recognize that not everyone will like you for who you are, and that’s just the way it is. I love this saying: “It’s none of my business what you think of me.” It seems to help. And yes, sometimes it’s important to learn from those who don’t like us or vice versa because of the mirror they put up for us, but that’s a blog entry for another day.

Through the years, I’ve learned to cultivate a group of friends and business cohorts who appreciate me as I am most of the time… and vice versa. Unconditional love is the best medicine, and friends, family and community members who support me as is make me feel accepted and beautiful in the here and now. It’s that simple although living in the simple may feel very complicate at times, especially if you are in a phase of waking up and shedding the Negative Nelly’s from your inner circle.

Somehow, unconditional support builds a landscape for authentic change and growth to bubble up more naturally. Being unconditional is a practice and a tough one for the human brain (in fact conditionality is a necessary albeit overused defense mechanism), but when it comes to healing the human heart, unconditional love is the special sauce. With it, we can relax into becoming our truest selves, when given the space and freedom to discover it without pressure. This work is worth it.

And no, you can’t always love everyone, no matter how “spiritual” you try to be (unless we’ve reached enlightenment). Clearly, people are complex, and personalities don’t always jibe. But if you do your best to surround yourself with people who like you (the REAL you) there’s a good chance you’ll be a lot happier.

Allow room for your true, authentic self to flower. It’s that part of you that is the most lovable and unique side of you anyway. Let ‘er rip.

Love,
Amy

I talk to friends and relatives on many corners of the planet on a regular basis and at all times of day. And almost unanimously people say that the most practical invention of this era, and my lifetime, is the internet.

I guess I am lucky, because I like to write and taking care of things via email is a natural tactic. But often, something is lost in translation. When it comes down to it, there’s nothing like body language, or a nuanced word, or even just good old eye contact. Be careful. Internet communication can become yet another TO DO list that has the potential of pulling us away from our individual path and priorities.

Because of our ability to communicate with multiple people at a time, work from home and transact deals so efficiently with the touch of our fingers, we may lose sight of our actual physical communities. I think about about ways to keep the face-to-face in my life.

It might start with putting down the cell phone and getting out there. Or it might begin with shutting off the computer and being quietly with myself for a few minutes or even an hour or two. Maybe it’s taking the time to make eye contact with a neighbor. Stopping to chat. Asking them what’s up. And then really listening.

Community has long been considered a personal support system that can keep us afloat in hard times. (Thus the success of institutions like AA and so many religious organizations and groups.)

In today’s world in flux, community can serve as your bridge over troubled water, which just happens to be IO’s working mission for this current climate of change and turmoil. Last week we closed down business for our yearly IO Renewal Day to refresh the spirits of our team, build community, and renew the space we work and play in.

And provoking that sort of community by making more of an effort to interact with people in person, and with yourself in person, well, that’s what I call building a bridge to your better side.

With your eyes, your ears and your heart. It makes a difference.

Create community,
Amy

The other is this insightful Ani DiFranco quote I stumbled upon:

“I find it metaphorically resonant that a pregnant woman looks like she’s just sitting on a couch, but she’s actually exhausting herself constructing a human being. The laborious process of growing a human is analogous to how a woman’s work is seen. It’s hard to recognize, because a man’s work has such extravagant evidence – skyscrapers, for instance – while a woman’s work just makes the world quietly turn.”

Our western culture was founded on and highly validates masculine qualities like ambition, stoicism and action. This is how a capitalist culture thrives, at least on the outside. In my own past, I’ve excelled at tasks and have been very driven, whether it be in school or with starting my own business early on. And I have earned benefit and burden from this hard work and effort.

But the beautiful truth is that there is a yin to every yang, and while we plow ahead relentlessly with our careers and goals and drives, the feminine energy all around us yearns quietly to keep us balanced. The pertinent question is, are we listening to the feminine voice? Are we listening to her soft call? For a long while, I can say that I wasn’t listening.

I observe so many of my female friends starting families and having babies. It’s amazing to witness them retreat into the knowledge of their own bodies, to trust in the harmony of nature and learn to just relax into it. So without that happening for me, I am self-imposing these feminine skills.

To me, the positive attributes that define the feminine in our culture are things like: being more fluid and flexible, honoring collaboration, downplaying hierarchy, and cultivating creativity. I strive now more than ever in my own life to invite these qualities into my world, into my personal life and into IO. We look for teammates that can share these same aspirations and invite both precision and accountability as well as fluidity and creativity. That is balance. And balance is what we all seek on a soul level.

Embracing the feminine within isn’t just a requirement for women finding balance. For men, integrating the concept of the feminine and all her ways of being in the world can actually take the pressure off “fixing” everything. That can really liberate the dudes in our lives.

I know this can be a hard sell to the manly-man, but it could be the golden ticket to wholeness and joy for both sexes. What part of you, are you leaving out?

And, by the way, if by writing this post I am accused of being a Goddess worshipper, then so be it. It’s about time.

Circling life,
Amy

In the yoga world especially, there’s a lot of talk about being “on the path”. In other words, heading in the direction of being in a “better way” with yourself and your world. Plodding ever closer to enlightenment and freedom where there is no suffering for body, mind or spirit. Sounds like a worthy cause, right?

I do believe that it’s important to teach kids, and adults alike, that our potential is limitless and that we should dream big. This is an empowering, democratic attitude. And it’s the language of hope and of the visionary and the believer that is available in all of us.

But there’s definitely room for more than one philosophy. It’s not a one size fits all thingy. Try this one on for size: accept yourself just the way you are. That’s quite a slippery spiritual endeavor actually and could take a lifetime or ten to master. And it’s as good a pathway into transformation as any.

Pick a door, any door. The key is to pick one. And open it. Pandora might jump out, but then again she probably looks freakier than she really is. It’s a Wizard of Oz sort of situation, more smoke and mirrors than reality, more of a mirage than material. Fear always looks bigger than it is.

So why not love ourselves as is? I see a lot of friends working their hearts out to achieve career success, the perfect weight, a balanced social life, and some degree of spiritual peace. And of course, I am not immune to the ambition trap myself. In fact, I am a self-proclaimed seeker with a background in consumerism.

But I like to take a step back and tell myself, in the dorky and insightful words of Mark Darcy of Bridget Jones’ Diary fame, “Amy, I like you just the way you are.” And, yes, I did just quote a chic-flick.

Anyway, it has a nice ring to it. Who has ever heard enough of that in their life? Try it on yourself. Or try something more creative and paint yourself a love-mandala, like this one shown above. I don’t care if it sounds silly. Let’s get beyond that for a minute. Do something, anything, out of the ordinary that’s about loving who you are in this moment.

While I’m at it, let me remind you of another message we hear a lot in the “spiritual-sector”. It’s the simple and liberating message of being present, living in the here and now. Being present and loving yourself go hand in hand. Allowing what is true now to be as it is, honors it and, in a way, loves it just the way it is. And oh what a relief it is.

What are you waiting for? Be your own bridge to your better side.

Love yourself now,
Amy

Truly, taking care of yourself is your first line of defense against the health-degrading effects of anxiety and tension. What that means for you is open to interpretation, but taking a little time out for yourself every single day is so important to maintaining the equilibrium of mental, physical and spiritual health – three things that are integrally linked.

Maybe it means you opt to take a yoga class instead of unwinding with a glass of wine after work. International Orange has some great classes designed specifically to dissipate tension, such as our Friday night Mellow Flow and our Sunday evening Restorative Yoga.

Or immerse yourself in the sanctuary of an IO spa massage. Even better, treat yourself to any two IO spa treatments in the same day, and we’ll invite you to take a yoga class for free.

One of my personal favorite ways to unwind these days is with a Dayna Decker botanical candle (a recent addition to the Shop at IO). And I swear, it transcends any candle experience you’ve ever had. For real, taking one of these beautiful candles home will exponentially enhance the calming effects of your bath, meditation session or chill-time.

Here’s another worthy splurge I recommend for stress therapy: REN rose bath oil. I’ve given this to a few friends who aren’t huge “rose flavor” fans, and they’ve come back begging for more. It smells exactly like a rose bush. In your bath.

These are just a few ideas, courtesy of IO. In truth, any steps you take to nurture your own sense of peace and trust in the universe are bound to pay off, more than any economic stimulus plan possibly could.

Your personal wellness is a bridge to your better side.

So treat yourself well,
Amy

And for those of us who live in the city, they are an instant reminder of our inherent connection to nature. I love picking up a bundle of flowers at the farmers’ market, because I know they are fresh, local and handpicked. It’s always a lovely treat to see what’s in season at each particular time of year. Sometimes, the farmers will only have lilies. Other times, just anemones. Recently, lilac season peek-a-booed her brief and pretty head.

At IO, we always make sure there are fresh flowers in a glass bowl below each massage table, so that if you happen to open your eyes during a treatment, you zone in on their simple loveliness.

We borrowed this idea from the tenets of Indonesian ceremonies. Indonesians revere flowers and make a place for them in all of their abundant rituals. The art of honoring flowers as a symbol of love and devotion is second nature to their culture, and it’s one of many foreign traditions we could all do well to co-opt.

I believe in flowers as a simple and wholesome way to reconnect to the natural beauty inherent in all of us. Tying back to a recent blog I wrote about the power of yin energy and our life-giving, feminine side.

Try it… buy yourself a bouquet of your favorite flowers (splurge a little even), put them somewhere in your house where you will see (and smell) them every day, and let me know if it isn’t a lovely reminder to admire yourself a little more.

Flower power,
Amy

Scientific studies are showing that longtime meditators have thicker frontal lobes – the parts of the brain that control focus and concentration. That sounds good to me. Especially since meditation practice is one of my most consistent and balancing daily practices.

Still, I’m not so concerned with developing a bigger frontal lobe this lifetime, but the added concentration is certainly one reason I dug into meditation in the first place. It helps to balance out brain state and how I handle my emotional body. But apart from the brain changes, scientists are also on their way to proving a connection between devoted spiritual beliefs and physical health.

I read a Time Magazine article that spouted about a trillion statistics and scientific justifications for how regular prayer or meditation can positively impact our biological functioning. Out of all this convincing data, one simple statement rang especially true for me:

“…people who maintain a sense of gratitude for what’s going right in their lives have a reduced incidence of depression.”

This is a good reminder for me to get back to practicing gratitude: taking time every day to be thankful for something in my life. It can be anything. It can be tiny or grand. Being thankful for my health, a friend that reached out to me, a smile from a stranger, or a sweet morning walk I took to enjoy the wildflowers springtime offers up.

Being grateful for the little things reminds me of how precious life really is. I try to take a moment after yoga, meditation or before bed, and make a simple list in my mind. A sort of prayer, if you will. Science is also showing that prayer and meditation have a similar impact on both mental and bodily health.

These practices have served me especially well when I’m going through a hard time. Like lately. And I have to say I do think they make me a happier and healthier person.

A bigger brain or not, I’m a believer.

Be your own temple,
Amy

Walker’s message touched me so much that at the beginning of our recent IO All Team meeting, I read allowed her borrowed message from the Elders of the Hopi Nation. I share it with you now:

We have been telling people that this is the Eleventh Hour
Now we must go back and tell the people this is the Hour

“We are the ones we have been waiting for … “

—The Elders, Hopi Nation, Oraibi, Arizona

All of us humans, now more than ever have an opportunity, a calling really, to take honest inventory in our lives for ourselves and for our home… planet earth, mother earth. It’s a time of great change. We can feel it, sense it, see it, hear it.

But what will we do about it?

As Walker and the Hopi Elders remind us, we must know our own landscape (internal and external). We must have the guts to let go of things that aren’t serving us. We must find the power to change.

Where has our personal responsibility for ourselves, our lives and our planet gone? What things can be left behind that aren’t in service of your life purpose and your personal path? If you haven’t identified your purpose or path. Then start there.

Michael Ray’s book called The Highest Goal, helped me sort that question out.

That’s what I am trying to do in my own life and that’s what I recently posed to our IO Team and now pose to you, our IO community. Sometimes that’s relatively easy work, joywork even, and sometimes it just plain hurts. In either case, now is the time.

Who are you waiting for? We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.

It rings so true for me that real transformation starts from within. Even if forced upon us, change only transforms us if we let it. And your chosen community will support your transformation. If IO is part of your chosen community, then we can support your process of waking up to yourself and your wellness transformation.

Trust that the river knows its destination.

And let go of the shore,
Amy

Bill, one of our blog readers, commented on it and pointed me to another great blog posting called “Discover Why Multitasking Damages Your Business and How to Fix It.”

This article introduced me to the fact that human mind is a “sequential processor” – meaning that we are actually not designed to do more than one thing at a time.

According to Jonathan Jordan, author of the blog, multitasking is not only impractical and counter-intuitive, but it’s actually not efficient because it tends to result in so many more mistakes.

I bought into this theory, and I take it to heart whenever I can. But it’s a fact that the evil monster of multitasking is not completely avoidable unless we are hermits in a cave or some such thing.

Sometimes, we just have to do more than one thing at a time. Especially if we have jobs… or friends… or children… or partners… or…

So anyway, recently I stumbled upon this zen parable:

Seung Sahn would say, “When you eat, just eat. When you read the newspaper, just read the newspaper. Don’t do anything other than what you are doing.”

Seung Sahn said, “When you eat and read the newspaper, just eat and read the newspaper.”

I love this, and I’m not exactly sure why. I think what Seung Sahn is implying is that it’s okay to do more than one thing at a time, as long as you are present with both things, and those things work in harmony together.

This doesn’t mean than I give myself permission to simultaneously email/facebook/write/talk on the phone/ad nauseam… although I admit I have caught myself in this scenario once. but as long as I can find two tasks that compliment each other, that’s a good start.

If you’re gonna mutlitask at least be mindful. Catch yourself. Notice what you’re doing when you are doing it. Perhaps you’ll enjoy the experience more or create some space to do less of something that’s not really serving you.

Peace,
Amy

For those of you that ignore the news (not always a bad thing), here’s what happened: Sandra Cantu left her home on the afternoon of March 27th to play in the neighborhood – a very sheltered, tight-knit mobile home community where everyone knows everyone. She never came back. Last week, farm workers found her body in a suitcase floating in a nearby irrigation pond. And Saturday, they arrested Melissa Huckaby, a young mom to one of Sandra’s playmates and a Sunday School teacher and daughter of the local minister.

It’s jumping the gun a little bit to assume that Melissa Huckaby is guilty of murder. But certainly, the press and local police are indicating that there was a confession. Prompting the greater community to wonder, WHY?

It’s a terrible story without a lot of redemptive elements. But for me, there has got to be a lesson here somewhere. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and what I’ve come up with is this:

Never, ever assume that you know what happened based on stereotypes or history. During the seemingly endless stretch during which Sandra was missing and then found murdered, I think most of us unfortunately assumed that a pedophile – a male pedophile – must have been involved. It’s a morbid fact that our minds do go right to that place, based on countless media stories and past events.

An excerpt from today’s news story: “Sandra’s father was questioned, as was a neighbor with a criminal past. They also questioned Huckaby’s 77-year-old grandfather, a church pastor. Then there was the man who admitted that he once kissed Sandra on the lips at the neighborhood swimming pool.” Up until the moment that Melissa Huckaby was arrested, we were all calling the perpetrator “he”, and using our fear and confusion to make up possible endings in our own minds.

The fact is, something horrifying happened to Sandra Cantu, but we don’t know (and may never know) exactly what, why and how. In the meantime, I’ll consider this a lesson in not jumping to conclusions. Just because the guy across the street looks kind of creepy, does not mean that he’s a potential killer. And just because my neighbor is a Sunday School Teacher, does not mean she’s an angel.

Ugh,
Amy

Getting into a good book, in that sense, can be like a mini-retreat. It’s reading meditation. It’s a vacation from the regular rattle and hum of the brain. And in my book (pun intended), it’s healthy escapism.

There is a relaxing effect that happens when we allow our brain waves to sync with our eye movements in the act of reading. It’s as if creating a lulling rhythm of left to right, page to page, has a positive physical effect on the nervous system.

I’m willing to bet there have been studies on this very matter, but I can only testify to my own experience with my nose in the books. Time flies.

Reading is almost the opposite of meditation or other practices that encourage us to “be present”. I am a big believer in meditation, and practice it daily. My more disciplined practices are vital to fostering balance in my life.

And I also revel in the richness of habits that often feel more indulgent, in the sense that I get joyfully lost in them, disappear into them. It’s my lazy-woman’s meditation practice.

And I love that you can pretty much read anywhere. Try keeping a paperback in your bag. A good book can make an interminable bus ride fly by, or a tedious wait in a doctor’s office feel like a treat.

I know the gossip mags are a hideously effective temptation and easy to get lost in them too, but perhaps a sweet little book could make a healthy replacement from time to time? Plant better seeds.

As most of my friends know, I usually have several books going at once although I’m not the fastest reader. And by several books, I mean a stack of 7 or so next to my bed at any given time.

I’ve read some good ones lately, among them:

We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For by Alice Walker. Her message of light in a time of darkness is poignant.

The Seductress by Betsy Prioleau is about historic women who bucked the matronly M.O. and ravished the world with their lost art of love.

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink (also a very well-acted film).

And The Pearl by John Steinbeck (when I was kayaking on the Sea of Cortez).

I get a lot of my books secondhand from friends. And I love the energy of passing books along. It’s a generous gesture and a commitment to learning and sharing.

Read a book. Pass it on.
Amy

Baja’s raw beauty and starkness made me yearn to write. But for me it called for poetry before prose.

I was on a wilderness meditation retreat with a great teacher of mine, Mark Coleman. As a group of 12 plus 4 superstar support staff, we kayaked, meditated and lived as part of nature for just shy of a week.

While there I also celebrated my most life-affirming birthday yet.

On the way down to Baja by plane, I read Steinbeck’s little book called The Pearl. One quote was particularly fitting as I entered the inner terrain of meditation and the outer terrain of the desert islands of Sea of Cortez:

An accident could happen to these oysters, a grain of sand could lie in the folds of muscle and irritate the flesh until in self-protection the flesh coated the grain with a layer of smooth cement. But once started, the flesh continued to coat the foreign body until it fell free…

This happy accident of oyster self-care yields something precious, a pearl. It reminds us that beauty can come out of suffering. Like a lotus flower growing out of mud. A dandelion sprouting from a pavement crack.

With this message echoing in my head I was ushered into the silence of the retreat. And with that I entered my inner world that yields ‘pearls’ from the often rugged container of my personal ‘oyster shell’.

Since my vow of silence on retreat included a vow not even to write, listening to poetry was as close as I got. Those poignantly spoken words often made my heart soar and wet my eyes with tears.

On our first night sleeping under the stars, Mark read us one of my favorite poems reminding me I was in the right place. I heard it first several years back from a consoling friend as I was diving into my own “Sweet Darkness”.

Here’s a passage from that poem by David Whyte:

The dark will be your womb
tonight.

is too small for you.

Cultivate pearls,
Amy

I chose lunchtime. For an hour, I simply ate lunch. I didn’t eat lunch and read. I didn’t eat lunch and talk on the phone. I didn’t eat lunch and work. I even tried not to daydream.

At first, I felt anxious about the lost time. There are so many things we can accomplish by eating while we do something else. Growing up, my parents were never keen on the idea of eating in front of the TV, which of course made it practically irresistible whenever I could get away with it. But now that I am older, I understand why they didn’t want me to develop that mindless habit of shoving food into my mouth while my attention lay elsewhere.

There is a ritual in enjoying food. To actually be present to the taste, the sensations of swallowing, the change in your body chemistry as you integrate the nutrition, and to notice the moment when you are no longer hungry. This, to me, is a way to develop a healthy relationship with food.

These days, I try to integrate the non-multi-tasking concept into cooking. When I cook dinner for myself, I relish the time spent alone in the kitchen. I don’t succumb to the ringing phone. I don’t play music. I enjoy the silent reverie that allows me to appreciate the rhythmic chopping, rinsing, sorting, frying, and even the cleaning. I think it makes for a more delicious and appreciated meal. And at the very least, is a peaceful respite from my cluttered urban life.

So now I challenge you. For one week, or even one evening, can you prepare yourself a lovely meal, without doing anything else? Let me know if it tastes a little different.

For once, resist the urge to multi-task. Sit back and enjoy the present moment.

Bon appetite,
Amy

This is why aromatherapy is such a powerful therapeutic tool. Well, at least that’s my theory. But when you smell essential oils, the initial hit has a powerful affect on your body and nervous system. When we become numb to the scent, the effects are more subconscious.

A friend of mine swears that peppermint oil is the only thing that makes her feel better when she has a stomach ache. But here’s the catch – she doesn’t simply smell it. She rubs it on her belly. Peppermint oil, like many other essential oils, has powerful absorptive qualities. In a more direct way than peppermint tea or a peppermint candy could penetrate via the digestive system, actually applying peppermint oil to her belly allows the healing fumes to sink directly into the tissues and organs. As an added bonus, the sharp, sweet scent of peppermint oil has an association for her that speaks to healing and reviving. The mere smell of peppermint oil can now have a positive effect, thanks to smell’s strong nostalgic association.

At IO we use this science of aromatherapeutic oils in many of our products and services. The benefits range from somatic to emotional. Many of our massage treatments are customized with essential oils, such as our in-house IO Anoint Oil or In Fiore’s Dayala, Jolie, Shevanti or Tiagi Body Balms.

Pretty much every beauty product we sell or use at IO was selected in part due to its scent. And, of course, the quality of the essential oils in our products have to be up to par for us to stand behind them. Period.

Scent yourself, naturally,
Amy

There’s the whole wisdom-of-experience thing. And as I enter my mid-30s (okay, I know I’m not that old), I’ve realized that thankfully I’m just not as hung up on how I look anymore. And what a relief. There’s a magical and freeing equation that operates like this: the older I get, the less I care about the superficial stuff.

Feeling good matters much more than looking good to me. Making a positive impact on the world matters way more than looking hot in a bikini (and, yes, I still care about how I look in a bathing suit, but thank the lord I don’t panic like I used to, weeks before I knew I’d be seen in one).

That said, I still do my best to look good since that helps me feel good too. Fortunately, I’ve found ways to look good that don’t involve plastic surgery or other terrifying medical procedures. Okay, I admit it helps to work in a spa, where I have immediate access to all sort of age-defying treatments like invigorating facials, relaxing massage, and toning yoga, not to mention fabulous organic products.

Of course by now we know the import of staying in shape, eating right (greens and veggies, healthy oils, minerals, vitamins, and plenty of water) and taking care of ourselves to stay vibrant and healthy. In addition, in my travels and research, I’ve stumbled on more obscure graceful aging techniques like acupuncture face-lifts. Tiny little needles (really, almost imperceptible) are inserted at key points in the face to tone it up. It’s absolutely not invasive, and over time, it actually works to strengthen elasticity in the muscles and settle down fine lines and facial tension. We tested these out briefly at IO, but it didn’t stick (wink. wink). Perhaps someday we’ll offer them again.

So when doubt starts to creep in about aging, I remind myself of this simple and powerful fact: it’s just natural. It’s natural to be concerned about aging. And it’s natural to age. Let’s face it, nobody is getting out of here alive. And if I’m lucky, one day I’ll end up looking like Helen Mirren, who is pretty much a babe, at any age. She’s an elder-hottie with more wisdom and poise than a whole gaggle of cheerleaders.

Don’t be shy, share your age-defying tricks with me for my arsenal. We’re in this together. And you know what they say, “the clock is ticking”…

Ha! Just kidding. Don’t buy into that junk. Throw away the clock. And vow to try, at least, to love yourself as you age. Grace is beautiful, in and of itself. It’s the struggle, the resistance that can make a face and body harsh and more wrinkled than they need to be.

So relax more, and find ways to lighten up in the process.

Aspiring elder-vixen,
Amy

Okay so maybe it doesn’t mean deep down you’re a brilliant painter like my dear friend Josephine Taylor-Tobin, an impeccable designer like IO Creative Director, Matt Dick, or a super skilled coiffeur like my pal Alex Sandor. I’m certainly none of these. What it does mean is that we all have the capacity to insert more creative ways of thinking and being into our daily lives…even if that life is mostly spent in front of a computer or serving others.

And in becoming more creative, we boost our ability to do our jobs better, live our lives more fully. Plus it’s just a heck of a lot more fun.

This book still inspires me. Periodically I revisit it and remind myself to make space for the inner artist in my day-to-day life. Sometimes this looks like a daily journaling practice. Painting silly watercolor artwork for my eyes only. Singing along loudly to my iPod in my room, while driving, and yes, there’s always the shower option. These days, I am channeling my creativity through beginning a teaching practice. I am stepping up to lead workshops as part of our IO Wellness Workshops series. My first workshop of the sort will be in March (stay tuned on our workshop page for details). It’s an Urban Renew YOU Retreat that I am pleased to be co-leading with Dr. Brenda Wade. Think spa treatments, yoga, a little friendly meditation and lots of tips and tools to be the most inspired version of beautiful YOU.

The Artist’s Way also taught me the value of the “artist’s date”. It’s a non-negotiable, regularly scheduled date I make with myself, and only myself. Sometimes I go to the movies. Sometimes I visit a museum. Sometimes I just curl up with a book. How the time is spent is not nearly as important as the priority commitment to spending time with number one. It’s kind of like a soul Sabbath, if you will.

In my favorite quote from the book, Julie Cameron puts it beautifully: “In a sense, as we are creative beings, our lives become our works of art.”

Think about it. Don’t you want your own life to be a work of art? And what would that look like for you?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Be creative,
Amy

Since 2002, we’ve offered exceptional yoga and movement-based workshops at IO, but this year we move beyond our old paradigm and expand our offering to bring you new meaningful experiences. All of these workshops aim to supplement your health and well being by introducing you to new tools and practices that have worked for me, and the IO Team, first hand.

The first workshop is just around the corner on Saturday, January 24: Rejuvenation with Indigo Stray.
If you love yoga but think of it as a way to work out and get in shape, this is a great opportunity to experience the other side of yoga – the one where you simply let go, relax, and reap the benefits in a passive way. This is the exact opposite of the “no pain no gain” mindset a lot of us get trapped in when it comes to our physical practices.

Restorative yoga is the asana equivalent of a hot bath or a good massage, and it’s appropriate for a wide range of experience levels. This can be your first yoga experience or your one thousandth. Either way, I highly recommend indulging in a Saturday afternoon of peace, quiet, and lounging about (in a beneficial way) in our tranquil, warm IO movement studio. I love Indigo’s teaching and I L-O-V-E restorative yoga.

On Saturday, February 7, Dance Your Bliss with creator Rachel Fleischman as we roll up the yoga mats and dance. Rachel has the credentials to guide us in a truly transformative afternoon of dancing, intention setting and just plain fun. She is a successful psychotherapist as well as a pioneer in the art of healing-based movement. But don’t worry; she won’t be analyzing you, just empowering you to let go for a few hours. Think of it as a mini-retreat for body and soul.

And here’s one very close to my heart: on Saturday, February 28, I will co-lead an Urban Wellness Retreat with Dr. Brenda Wade, a renowned psychologist and motivational speaker known for her “love centered approach to transformation” (and yes, she has even been on Oprah). This afternoon will be a rich collaboration of yoga, spa treatments and wellness guidance. It’s a perfect opportunity to experience what IO is truly all about.

Early this year we’ll also be hosting a Yoga Inversions workshop, a class on energizing Ayurvedic Food and watch out, we’re just getting warmed up… Stay tuned to our workshop schedule.

See you there,
Amy

In my own life, inspiration often comes from the most unsuspecting places.

You won’t usually find me lauding a coming-of-age baseball story since I’m not much of a sports buff, but here’s a great exception. It’s the story of my friends, the Miller twins, who made an autobiographical first film called “Touching Home” and what’s more, just got a major book deal. They did it against the odds, with unrivaled tenacity and in honor of their deceased dad who was always their biggest fan.

Noah and Logan Miller grew up in rural West Marin in a working-class family, a few towns away from where I grew up in a county where money is pouring out of most pockets. Their passion was baseball, and they climbed their way out of a poor childhood and became rising sports stars. In the end, their baseball dreams didn’t work out and they eventually found themselves back at home working in a quarry alongside their often drunk, sometimes-homeless and ever troubled dad. (It’s a little weird sharing such personal details about guys I know, but there’s a film about it and soon a book release so I figure I’m allowed.)

This could have easily been the end of their ambitions, but the Miller twins made “lemonade” out of their lemons and released a notable indie movie as a paean to their father, who died of a heart attack, penniless in jail in 2006. With 17 credit cards and a boat load of gumption but absolutely zero experience making movies, they managed to convince elite actor, Ed Harris, to play the role of their dad and in the process told a cathartic story about family that helped them, in their own words, “memorialize our father”. Did I mention that they are also the stars of the film, wrote and directed it themselves and it’s actually really good?

Aside from the pathos of the story portrayed in this movie, the story behind the movie and the determination of the Miller twins to get it made is so inspiring, it’s also a testament to how losing sight of one dream can actually kick-start another.

The struggle against adversity is a classic movie formula because it echoes real life. In one way or other, we all come up against great challenge and struggle in our lives. Buddhist philosophy says that confronting our suffering and transforming it into learning is the heart of life. Or in Western words: what doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger.

Thanks to the Miller twins for their inspiration.

What inspires you?

Gratefully,
Amy

Over the next few days (or even on New Year’s Eve – why not?) take time out to meditate on where you’d like to see yourself by the end of 2009. Envision changes you’re eager to make in all of the different areas of your life – career, relationships, finances, your health and personal goals. Be realistic and compassionate, but don’t be afraid to dream big.

Then, write yourself a letter. Now here’s the key – write it in the present tense, as if these things have already happened. I know it’s a little hokey, but who cares.

Dear Amy,

Love,
Amy

Seal and address the letter to yourself, give it to your most organized and reliable friend, and ask them to mail it to you in early December of 2009. Then, forget all about it. Give it up to the gods, as they say.

It might sound like a contrived visualization technique à la “The Secret”, but it’s actually a profound experience. You might amaze yourself when, a year from now, you read the letter and find that you are actually in a much different place then when you started your year. It’s all about setting an intention in motion. Here’s what it’s not about: pressure, guilt or perfectionism.

So often, New Year’s resolutions seem designed to submit us to failure. We throw our hearts into them for a month or so and then we give up and forget all about them. This year, I invite you to try a different path.

Wishing you health, love and happiness in 2009,
Amy

Are you feeling obligated to attend every last get-together while simultaneously crunching in work deadlines, shopping for gifts amidst the retail mayhem, hosting family, hanging decorations and trying to do it with a tighter budget and a smile on your face?

Well, that’s just crazy, isn’t it? Things can quickly become very overwhelming. Overwhelming and stressful.

I find it useful to remind myself that it’s normal to feel a little sluggish as the days get shorter and chillier. There was frost on the ground this morning as I took my morning walk. It even looked like there was snow in San Francisco on Monday morning since all the hail that fell the night before had piled up on street corners. It was a rare site and proof that winter is mere days away. Here she comes, the season of hibernation. We either choose to invite her in with a warm welcome or she comes blowing the door down anyway.

Biologically, in fact, our bodies are designed to go into a semi-state of hibernation this time of year. Of course, that’s not what ends up happening in our modern Western world. Still, there are ways to slow down even during the frenzied month of December. Here are some effective tips I’ve cultivated in my own life to help ease the pandemonium of the holidays.

Just Say No…To Evites
Ask yourself, if I say no to this party, will I really be missed? Okay, so you’ll be missed. But will you be missed to the extent that it’s worth stretching yourself thin to make this happen? Pick and choose your social outings based on what will make YOU happy, not what you feel obligated to attend.

One for Me, One for You
While you’re opting out of mad socializing, take the extra time to do something nice for yourself. Indulge in a restorative yoga class, treat yourself to a relaxing massage, or maybe just a nice hot bath.

You at the Top of the List
Put yourself at the top of your holiday shopping list. Even if it’s just a candle or some bath salts, give yourself a token of appreciation. Truly, I believe that we best serve others and the world by taking care of ourselves first so we are better equipped to give wholeheartedly and generously to others. I’m still working on this one myself, but I’ve made a lot of progress that shows me this lesson is a good one. Give it a try with me.

Wallow in Sleep
Get in bed a little earlier, at least once a week. Light a candle. Sip a warm cup of tea, hot milk with honey or hot apple cider. Crack open the book that you’ve been wanting to read, but have been too tired and too busy to pause for. Read a few well-deserved pages. Drift off into a sweet slumber. (Remember to blow out your candle first. A house fire would not be relaxing.)

Revel in Food
‘Tis the season. This time of year a little more food is called for. Go ahead, have some comfort food. Satisfying a yearning for comforting food can help prevent over snacking on sweets or junk. If you go easy on the alcohol then having a little more comfort food won’t result in weight gain. Enjoy the warmth of stews and soups. Remember to eat foods in season like root veggies and dark leafy greens with fortifying vitamins and minerals. Opt for cooked foods instead of raw for easier digestion during cold winter months. Keep your internal system warm and well fed. You’ll be healthier and more satisfied.

Don’t Worry Your Pretty Head
Go easy on yourself. Worrying less results in a sparkling glow from the inside out and fewer wrinkles. It’s proven. Don’t worry too much about the consequences of these simple suggestions above. None of these things are harmful to your health. Any lingering guilt you may have, toss it away. Plus, that’s what New Year’s Resolutions are for.

Have a little fun with taking care of yourself, as well as others, this season. Give yourself permission to hibernate a little too and send yourself into the New Year feeling healthy, balanced and recharged.

Take time for number one,
Amy

Every year in the transition from summer to fall, I return to our organic farm to help my folks with the year’s biggest harvest. We pick all sorts of fruits like grapes, figs, apples, peaches, heirloom vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, and medicinal, healing herbs like flowering mint and lavender.

My business partner and friend, Melissa, as well as IO Creative Director, Matt and IO Retail Director, Julie, have in years past also shared in the harvest experience and helped lend able hands to IO’s very own family farm, Old Monticello Organic Farms, New Mexico, otherwise know by the fitting acronym of OM OF NM.

After the harvest my parents, Jane and Steve, send me back from the farm to San Francisco with my healthy supply of freshly picked fruits and vegetables, my mom’s homemade stone-fruit granola, dad’s wood-aged balsamic vinegar, and lavender products to use at the spa and in my home bathroom.

Lavender Hydrosol is one of my favorite wellness products from the farm. In small batches, my parents slowly distill fresh, hand-cut herbs in their pure well water, producing the highest quality hydrosols and essential oils.

Nearly everyone knows what essential oils are, but hydrosols may be new to people outside of Europe. It is being learned that this “milky water” contains all key plant constituents, often even more than the essential oil itself, and can deliver the fullest medicinal value of the plant via inhalation or skin contact, both pleasingly and effectively.

Lavender is a healing herb known for its balancing, antiseptic and calming qualities.

Hydrosols are the pure water-based solutions created when essential oils are steam-distilled. They help maintain skin pH balance and absorption of product ingredients.

I love to mist Lavender Hydrosol generously on my face and body as a refresher and light fragrance. I always travel with a bottle to hydrate, calm and refresh. Since lavender has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties it’s also good for the germ exposure we encounter when traveling. Try it yourself.

A special thank you to my parents, Jane and Steve, and the fall harvest at OM OF NM for reminding me about the beautiful organic yields of nature and what delightful creations can be made with our own hands. What a combination.

Straight from the farm,

Amy

Born in India, Mother Meera is thought to be an incarnation of the Divine Mother (the mother of the universe in Hinduism). It is said she can tap into the “Light”, a healing, loving energy that makes spiritual progress easier on earth.

Thousands of seekers from all religions flock to Mother Meera to receive darshan. She holds the person’s head in her hands, then stares into their eyes for several seconds. During this process she is said to “untie knots” in the person’s karmic/subtle body and infuses them with Light.

Last night when I arrived at the Presbyterian Church a few minutes early for my 7:00 PM reservation (you are required to signed up online to secure your spot), the hall was already full of seekers. It was an interesting social experiment to watch all these people coming to receive darshan. Many people acted very serious and pious; some were smiling blissfully and seemed a little ‘checked out’, others appeared unfazed as they waited quietly for something in silent expectation or perhaps true openness.

I enjoyed my first darshan experience for its intrigue and calming result. I did indeed feel more relaxed, receptive and happier after receiving darshan. I wasn’t sure what to expect when Mother Meera was looking into my eyes, but her gaze felt comfortable and loving even as she did it in silence and with a straight face.

Afterward, I sat in meditation for 15 minutes and felt what I would call an electric quality of heat in my body, especially in my chest and midsection. I rested very well last night and had sweet dreams. A sense of deeper calm is still with me today.

And, it sure would be nice if some of my other ‘knots’ were untied for me. I could handle that.

Mother Meera now lives in Germany and was on a short visit to the Bay Area, but if you’re interested you can track her visits in the U.S. and perhaps experience darshan with her sometime.

Namaste (the divine in me honors the divine in you),

Amy

It was remarkable to get quiet and go inward to meet my mental demons and angels. It was especially remarkable for me to do so on a weekend when I knew my loved ones and friends were celebrating and spending time together. I knew this Independence Day would be a worthy challenge for me.

Rules for the weekend: no eye contact with other retreat goers, no talking except in a meeting with a teacher, only vegetarian meals, no harming of any animals, even insects, during the stay.

Our schedule: wake up at 6:00 AM, sitting meditation at 6:30 AM, eating meditation over breakfast at 7:00 AM, 7:45 AM sitting meditation, 8:30 AM walking mediation and so on until 9:30 PM.

I had a beautiful albeit challenging experience of silence and focus with smatterings of elation and joy mixed in with wanting to run for the hills, doing mental back flips and dealing with achy hips.

In the spirit of the celebration weekend and to connect to those outside of the retreat center, I spent a full hour in meditation doing Metta (loving kindness) practice. I was sending our IO community of staff and clients, as well as my family and friends, wishes for success, happiness, peace, safety and freedom from suffering. It felt fitting to offer up my own mental ‘fireworks’ of loving kindness.

On Sunday morning after a day and a half of silent meditation, something noteworthy happened. During one of my seated meditations, I was overcome by a wave of sadness that was quickly met by abundant compassion. Then, two tears welled up in my closed-eyes and rolled down my cheeks. The emotion passed like a wave and I felt extremely open and spacious. It was a testament to the power of letting go and of the openness and inner peace that meditation practice fosters.

I highly recommend trying a silent retreat sometime. I’m not sure it’s something you feel extremely ‘ready’ for since it’s challenging. But, as our teacher Eugene Cash reminded us this weekend, we meditate because it is the kind of suffering that leads to LESS suffering instead of the kind that leads to more suffering.

Happy Independence Day.

May all beings be free,

Amy

Reiki means universal life force energy and it’s a balancing and healing art with a broad range of happy benefits to both giver and receiver. This healing technique was developed in Japan by Mikao Usui (1865-1926).

Reiki works on the energy flow in the body, otherwise know as Chi in Chinese Medicine or Prana in the Yogic tradition. It has a healing, balancing and extremely relaxing effect on the mental, emotional and physical body. Reiki empowers the body’s innate self-healing ability.

Reiki is usually performed fully clothed and utilizes the light touch of the practitioner’s hands on specific energy centers of the body often channeling heat and sensation from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet. This kind of bodywork is, in one way, the opposite of deep tissue massage in that it is very gentle and calming.

But, I must say, as someone who L-O-V-E-S deep tissue massage, Reiki works beautifully for me. Deep tissue work addresses the musculoskeletal system in the Western medical tradition of treating a specific symptom as opposed to Reiki’s more holistic and Eastern approach of treating the cause of a symptom or the root of the problem, in this case the places where bodily energy gets stagnant or blocked.

Similarly to deep tissue massage, Reiki can help with tension or old holding patterns “stuck” in the tissues of the body. Reiki can also center us with such power that it effects our connection to self and spirit. My business partner and friend, Melissa and I often talk about Reiki being a way to plug into something larger than ourselves, a way to press the reset button on whatever junk or stress might be caught in the mind and body at a given time.

Reiki is powerful stuff and without getting too woo-woo about it, it’s something I believe everyone should experience. Reiki is healing and enlightening. Plus, afterwards I always feel happy as a clam and buoyant as a butterfly. Truly.

Our very own IO Massage Therapist, Carrie Stone, is a Reiki Master. She’s genius. Even though we don’t list Reiki on our spa menu, book a regular massage with her and ask her to do Reiki for either the entire session or to work it in to your regular IO 60 or 90 Minute Massage. You will be thankful.

Namaste,

Amy

I’ve been going out to Spirit Rock in Marin County for Monday night Dharma Talks with Jack Kornfield and friends for almost a decade, but it wasn’t until last November that I began my own daily meditation practice. It started with a commitment to meditate for 15 minutes every morning for one month. Then 15 minutes turned into half an hour and a month turned into six months. And here I am, still meditating everyday.

In combination with yoga, meditation is one of my most important balancing practices. It helps make living in the turbo pace of Western society more elegant. It slows me down to look inside, check in with what my own needs are day to day so that I can be present with myself in order to be my best for the rest of the world.

When it comes to meditation, a me-first attitude actually proves to be a good thing. Amazingly, it took me less that a week to see why. Even in that first week as I made space in my life to meditate for a few minutes every morning, the rest of my life began to feel easier. I am able to be better at my job by solving problems more creatively and openly. I am now able to be more present in my relationships. Decision making is also easier since I am clearer on my own stance and still flexible to new perspectives. When I make meditation a priority, my whole universe benefits from it.

In my life in the Bay Area with cell phone buzzing, emails pinging, a business to run with a team of 60 and the mounting pressure to keep up with the Jones, I am happy to have found a life-saver in meditation. It’s now a permanent resident in my own bag of tricks.

Tips on learning to meditate:

• Set aside 5 to 15 minutes daily (mornings work best for me) to sit upright on a pillow on the floor or in a chair with your feet planted on the earth.
• Focus on your breath. It’s your home in meditation. Keep coming back to the breath as a way to focus.
• Perhaps commit to meditating every morning for a week. After a week access how you are doing/feeling. If it’s helping then set another goal for yourself.
• Empower yourself by telling those that you live with what you are trying out and why. If they know about it then they will support your process. If they make fun of you then consider finding someone else to live with. ;)
• Go easy on yourself. Even people who are very seasoned in meditation have thoughts come up when they are practicing, as well as bodily aches and pains. It’s all part of it. That’s why it’s a practice. Keep trying.

This type of meditation practice is over 2,500 years old, but it’s making more sense than ever today. The pressure we put on ourselves, as Americans to live the dream, be the best and have more, more, more makes meditation some of the best medicine money CAN’T buy. I know… it’s so simple that it actually seems hard to do. You don’t need to pay for this ‘medicine’; you just need to make a little time for it in your life.

While on my recent travels in Southern Asia, meditation every morning continued and deepened as I had the opportunity to practice in amazing places like on the edge of the holy lake at the Gandhi Ghat in Pushkar, India and my two days spent with the Buddhist nuns at Dong Thien Pagoda in Hue, Vietnam.

Of course, now I want to dig deeper so I am taking a six week Intro to Insight Meditation & Buddhism class at the First Unitarian Universalist Church that’s nearby the spa.

Why not give meditation a try? Create a little more space for YOU.

Peace,

Amy