Loving the Holidays!

Spent most of the day in my Christmas PJ's, sipping on tea, nibbling on decadent goodies, and reading my new book. Oh how I love holidays! Also spent some time tapping into my creativity and began the Mindfully Creative Bride. Since 2011 will be dedicated to planning my wedding, I thought it would be fun to have space to share my tips and tricks. Wishing you the most relaxing of holidays!

Spreading Holiday Cheer

Enjoying a holiday beverage with the tree lights twinkling and the delicious aroma of turkey permeating the air. Shopping complete. Presents wrapped. House garnished with holiday decorations. It is the most wonderful time of the year!

As I helped my future father-in-law wrap presents this afternoon, a thought occurred to me. I pondered the amount of time and love that goes into holiday wrapping each year, just to have the paper ripped off. However, the idea of gifts being shoved under the tree without paper, ribbons, and bows, takes some of the magic and surprise out of Christmas morning. If I can offer a short holiday musing...I suggest taking a moment tomorrow morning (or whenever you observe the holiday) to take in the colorful paper and shiny bows. Gaze at the bright lights twinkling on the tree. Have a moment to appreciate all of the hard work that went into making the holiday special. Instead of quickly and mindlessly tearing of the paper, perhaps, pull it off slowly, savoring the moment. Of course, don't forget to express gratitude.

May you have a joyous holiday filled with peace and good cheer. Happy Holidays to you and your family!

With love and holiday cheer,

Suzanne

Facebook Year In Review

With all of my reflection throughout December, I thought it would be fun to post my facebook status year in review. Can you guess what month each status was posted in?

More Reverb 10

Here's a little More Reflection...Stay tuned for more to come!

December 12 – Body Integration. This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn’t mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present? (Author: Patrick Reynolds)

As I have mentioned in prior posts, this year I really tried to have a more active yoga practice. During  May and June, we had to take  Group Art Therapy Class. The central premise of therapy groups is that they are based in the 'here and now'. After an abundance of reading on this topic, I decided to explore a little more deeply what it meant to be present. Yoga was a perfect opportunity for this. One early afternoon in June, I had the most amazing yoga practice - mind, body, and breath were connected.I remember commenting to the teacher about what a great class it had been. She seemed confused. I took her class regularly, how was that day different? The difference was that, I was alive, cohesive, and present.

December 13 – Action. When it comes to aspirations, it’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. What’s your next step? (Author: Scott Belsky)

I suppose it's easier to start with the end goal and then consider the action steps necessary to get there. My dream is to own a yoga studio that I am able to run my private art therapy practice out of. Eventually, I would love to have my own yoga clothing line. Next steps would be to 1) finish school 2) get an art therapy job, in order to become a registered art therapist and LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) 3) Continue with CEU's to keep yoga licensure current 4) Grow Etsy store to gain business experience. Look for another post of goal setting forthcoming!

December 14 – Appreciate. What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it? (Author: Victoria Klein)

My relationships. When things get busy, it would be easy to neglect the important people in my life. Yet, these are the people that help me get through the chaotic times. I need them. This year, I have made an extra effort to spend time with these people, not only when things are calm, but also when they're busy.

December 15 – 5 Minutes. Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2010 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2010. (Author: Patti Digh)

Getting engaged, moving into our new home, pool party and garden visit after Grandpa's funeral, beach vacation with Kim, getting to know my classmates better, snowball fight in Dupont circle, laughing till it hurt in California with Tamara, trip to San Francisco with Janna, artist date to crafty bastards, making art with Amy, Bungee chair in Orlando, birthday brunch at Farmers and Fishers, making ice cream sundaes with excessive toppings for my birthday, John's 30th birthday party

December 16 – Friendship. How has a friend changed you or your perspective on the world this year? Was this change gradual, or a sudden burst? (Author: Martha Mihalick)

I have a friend who reminds me that sometimes, 'done is better than good.' The perfectionist inside of me always wants things to be perfect, so much that at times, I might drive myself crazy before I even get started on a project. I've learned that it's better to write down something to get started (if it's a paper) or to just begin a project and let it unfold. This usually makes for my best work anyways :)

December 17 – Lesson Learned. What was the best thing you learned about yourself this past year? And how will you apply that lesson going forward? (Author: Tara Weaver) 

That I tend to neglect the things I really want to do (yoga, creative time, date nights) in favor of what I believe I need to get done (schoolwork, internship stuff etc.). While both are important, I need to work on finding balance between the two. All work and no play makes for a tiring day!

December 18 – Try. What do you want to try next year? Is there something you wanted to try in 2010? What happened when you did / didn’t go for it? (Author: Kaileen Elise)

I really wanted to try to build my Etsy shop, start a blog, and keep a visual journal. I started all of these things, however when things got busy, they were the first things that got ignored. For next year I would like to try to be more consistent blogging, journaling, and the Etsy shop. To really nurture them, as I would a paper or any other creative project.

December 19 – Healing. What healed you this year? Was it sudden, or a drip-by-drip evolution? How would you like to be healed in 2011? (Author: Leonie Allan)

Definitely a drip-by-drip evolution, but I have been working carving out much needed time for myself. Still not great with it, but I am considering for 2011 scheduling time for myself and fun projects into my planned to ensure they happen.