Welcome to the Wise Woman Council October 2012.

I’m writing this in the energy of the full moon and shortly after the Fall Equinox..and right on schedule the days are shorter. As we lose the light, it seems more essential than ever to hold close the ways that you refill your well, to claim the sources of energy that are yours .. and then soak them up. This is our third month publishing the Wise Woman Council..and there are now 33 women’s beautiful rituals collected. An abundance of love and support.

With love from my heart to yours..

Tracey Ceurvels In the morning I make sure to rise an hour or so before my 4-year old daughter. This is my alone time, quiet and sacred. I play a soothing music channel on Pandora and head to to the kitchen. My day starts with a French press and my journal. As I sip strong fresh-brewed coffee—my one vice—I write a page a day. The empty pages are my haven. I am a mom, a business owner, a cook, a travel journalist, a recipe developer—a very busy person—but deep within I am still a contemplative writer who yearns for quiet moments like these. Someone who loves words and putting them on paper. Someone who appreciates beautiful notebooks and old-fashioned fountain pens. Someone who doesn’t feel quite right if I haven’t had a few moments to myself each day, just me, my pen and paper. In these days of smart phones and ubiquitous Internet connections (for which I am very grateful), pen and paper still beckon, calling me like a riveting novel. In these pages, I write my own story…and watch things unfold with surprise and wonder. Although I am a technology and Internet geek, I still love hard copies, physical books and paper—I love typing away on my MacAir but I also love writing with a pen. Although I am an urban dweller who loves hustle and bustle, I am also an introvert who relishes moments alone, and in the mornings I find them in a beautiful notebook while my energetic child still sleeps. I love the act of opening my notebook, pen in hand, creating my life with thoughts and words. This notebook is where I can lay it all out: gratitude, plans, wishes, desires. This notebook has become my solace, my church, my meditation room. Tracey Ceurvels is a writer, traveler, mom and food lover who inspires others to eat well and live well on her blog, The Busy Hedonist. Her recipes and articles about food and travel have appeared in The Boston Globe, Time Out, Haute Living, The Gourmet Food Blog at Dean & Deluca, among other web sites and publications. When not traveling to such places as the Amazon River in Peru or the South of France, Tracey lives in New York City with her family. Food lovers visiting NYC can download her app, NYC iFoodShop, to find out where to buy chocolate, cheese, spices and more.

Julie Daley My initial response is dance. I love to dance. I’ve been dancing the 5Rhythms for over ten years now. 5Rhythms is a moving meditation, so in ways similar to sitting meditation it helps you see how your mind works, and how you avoid this very moment. And, it also offers a kind of healing for the psyche. Gabrielle Roth, the creator of 5Rhytms, says, “If you put the psyche in motion, it will heal itself”. I’ve found this to be true. The psyche (or soul) becomes fragmented during our early life and it yearns to return to wholeness. That being said, I can’t dance everyday, and least not in the full-out, two-hour intensity that I enjoy. So, moving my body in any way would be how I care for myself. I have to move every day – every single day. When I don’t, I get tight, too heady and serious, and find my experience lacking any real peace. When I can’t dance, I walk or run, and when I walk I bring my camera. What this really points to is my practice of creating beauty through movement and flow. It’s not a still beauty captured in a piece of art, something I love, too, but living, breathing beauty: the beauty created by way of the line of an arm or leg moved by rhythm; the beauty I feel when I capture an image of a flower with the light of the sun pouring through its petals, and the beauty I know as I walk through a grove of trees in the nearby Presidio and feel their powerful and loving presence. It’s the beauty of breath, the beauty of life, the beauty of being the movement that is at the heart of what we are. This is beauty as life. It’s tapping into the very nature of what we are, a flowing, moving, ever-changing creation that is born anew with each breath, and in this beauty of life, everything exists (including peace, gratitude and beauty) and anything is possible. When I practice this practice, everything else I ‘do’ (create) in the day is richer, more vibrant, and more alive…including me. And to me, there is nothing more self-loving than this. This can sound very esoteric, but in reality it is entirely practical. Have you ever wondered how to be more present, more, creative, and more focused and directed? All of this becomes available when you move and flow with life. Julie Daley, a teacher, writer, and coach since 2003, has led hundreds of people from all walks of life to through an awakening of the soul–the source of true creative expression within. Julie works with people who are ready to move through the process of, and are yearning for, deep transformation. If you feel the pain of living as something and someone you are not, get in touch with Julie. http://www.unabashedlyfemale.com/

Laura Gates If there is one practice that sustains me on a regular basis, it is the practice of gratitude. Each morning I wake up with a litany of to-do’s, fears, anxieties and everyday stresses bouncing around in my head. Before leaping out of bed, grabbing my computer and cell phone to attack them, I tell myself it can all wait. I take a deep breath, reach out for my husband with one hand, my dog with the other (yes I sleep with an 85 lb Golden Retriever/Shepherd mix) and simply connect with these two lovely souls. I close my eyes and fill myself up with how much I love them, how lucky I am to feel loved and connected in this way. (There were many lonely years after the end of my first marriage, so I don’t take this part lightly). I can literally feel my heart expanding, and the love in me and around me increasing as the thoughts in my head recede. I then open my eyes and look out the window at the trees and birds and squirrels. I look at the sky and the sun peaking over the mountains and I feel gratitude for nature and the air I breathe. I think about my sister and her husband and my niece who live 15 minutes away and I send love in their direction and then I extend love out to distant family and relatives, friends, teachers and guides across the land, the living and the not living who have impacted my life. And finally, to all beings everywhere, and in particular those I know who are in distressed areas – whether it be Haiti, the Middle East or East Oakland, California. My little mantra in my head is: May all beings be happy, May all beings be free from suffering. (Including me). This brings me peace and starts my day with what is most essential. As an executive coach, leadership trainer, Intuition Medicine® practitioner and energy healer, Laura skillfully blends the mystical with the pragmatic. She’s devoted to awakening untapped power, unveiling the soul’s purpose and transcending the fears that bind us. You can find her at SurrenderingtotheSigns.com. She will be leading a soul retreat the first weekend of May 2013, find out more here. (http://surrenderingtothesigns.com/soul-retreats/)

Pam Guyer

One act of loving care that I do each day is practice yoga. I do this daily because it makes me feel good, and it is my way of putting myself first. There was a time when physical activity was important to me, but as a busy mom and business owner, sometimes it had to come last–I would try and fit it in after doing my work, taking care of my family, and this led to inconsistency and not honoring myself and my wellness first. I have changed my priorities and finally realized that I really do need to put myself first so that I can be there for others, especially my family. The reason why I like Yoga is because it balances all of the important elements of body, mind, spirit & soul. I am nurturing all 3 of these important aspects in this dedicated time each morning. My yoga teachers always teach an important lesson as we are move through the sometimes rigorous poses, I am learning, growing and opening my heart and mind to new opportunities and new ways of looking at things (and I feel like I am “double dipping” because I am getting a killer work out). Not only does it help me to open up, stretch and grow–I am also doing breathing techniques which I have learned to use throughout the day. It helps me to see my faith through a different lens, for the past 10 years I have grown my faith, but more than ever, I am able to make the connection between my body and spirit and sense of purpose. The fact is, I respect my body even more, it is a gift from God which I need to honor. As a top performer I have always had a history of working hard, being “all or none” (i.e. out of balance) and pushing to get ahead. I am learning (“am”, this is a journey, I have in no way arrived) that it is equally important to rest, to be open to change, to let go, to be, and most importantly to be present with what is really important to me and my priorities (not what others think I should be or what my role as mom or business leader “should” look like). I love that I am more focused than ever on deciding what it is I want in life, and planning my day and week to create time for things that I enjoy doing. Yoga is my daily dose of “me time” and putting myself first, it is so good for you mentally, physically and spiritually–it awakens your authentic spirit and guides you to be who you really are mean’t to be.

I am so grateful to be able to do yoga each day. I am grateful I made the decision years ago to start a business so that I could be in control of my schedule and have flexibility. This decision serves me even more today as it allows me time to focus on other areas of my life like wellness, family, recreational time, personal time, and time to be the heart of my home. This attitude of gratitude is what makes it such a gift to me. When I sit on my mat before class begins, I can’t help but think how grateful I am that I have this flexibility (something that is very important to me as a mom, as a woman and as an entrepreneur). I am grateful that I live a healthy life style, not only do I take the time for this, but also that I am surrounded by like minded people, that are also looking to live their best “HIPP” life! A result of this practice has given me a lot of peace in my heart. As a high energy person, I need to somehow release this energy, it serves me well most of the time, but yoga balances it out for me. Likewise, as a person that has a huge vision, huge imagination, thinking can become all too consuming. Yoga allows me to get out of my head, and drop the thoughts that race in my mind and don’t serve me. I can still have a big vision, but not sweat the small stuff (I sweat that right out). This all leads to peace and I can say that this practice is a tool to continue to experience peace. Even after a hectic day or week, I can step on my mat, and leave the studio (or at home) and feel more grounded and at peace, what a blessing!

Pam Guyer is a wife, mother, speaker, author, entrepreneur and lifestyle expert. With 20 years experience in leadership development, training, and life/business coaching, Pam has taken everything she has learned through business and life, and has created her brand, Living HIPP (Happy Inspired Passionate Peaceful). As a top leader in Direct Sales, Pam has been part of a dynamic culture in social selling, that not only changes lives financially, but personally. She is passionate about inspiring women to live their best life, and creating time to enjoy the things they love to do. Living HIPP is a cross roads of success principles and self care–this intersection empowers women to own their lives, create success (success is living life the way you choose to live it) and taking care of themselves so they can care for others. Pam holds a Masters Degree in Training & Development and lives on the North Shore of Boston with her husband, 3 children and 2 dogs.

In addition to a daily yoga practice, I find beauty in these daily or weekly activities that I participate in:

early morning reading/meditating, walking my dogs, creating a clean organized space in my home, quiet time with tea, pampering at the spa or at home, walking the beach, a warm crackling fire in the winter months, or sitting on my front porch on a sunny spring day, a trip to whole foods or the organic farm (I love how I feel when around fresh food), and what brings me most joy, is hanging out with my family at home (when we are not “doing” and just “being”)! Lastly, I laugh a lot! Days are busy, and times are still hectic or mundane sometimes (that comes with the territory of family life), but having a sense of humor is critical, and everyone that lives in my home has a sense of humor. The way we connect often times in the home (not always the case) is through humor, and nothing cures any daily challenge, upset, or “routine matter” more than a good laugh!

For more information and tips on living hipp or to learn more about her book, go to www.livinghipp.com

Marsha Hudnall

I’m a registered dietitian who went into the field in an attempt to heal myself of a life-crippling eating disorder. So when I think of how I practice daily self-care, my thoughts automatically go to the fact that I make a point every day of listening to my body and feeding it what it seems to need. I do it without judgment about what I look like but based on what I feel like, and I make choices that call on my whole body and mind to decide that. I think beyond what just sounds good to consider how I think I will feel physically and mentally after eating. I’m not always perfect at that but I am so grateful that I know I don’t have to be.

It took me a long time to get to this place but it has been an infinitely worthwhile journey because in feeding myself well, I put in place a foundation for doing what I want with my life. At the end of the day, I don’t circle concerns about food, calories and weight but instead appreciate that I can give my attention to things that really matter to me. One of those things is beautiful food — I am a true foodie and it gives me great pleasure to be able to appreciate good food and help family, friends, colleagues and clients appreciate it, too. Ultimately, I’m at peace with my eating and I’m filled with gratitude that I have been able to successfully put behind me a struggle that plagues so many women today. It is heartbreaking that so many women aren’t able to do this because of misperceptions about what feeding ourselves well takes in terms of time and energy and what it includes.

Marsha Hudnall, MS, RD, is president and co-owner of Green Mountain at Fox Run, a Vermont retreat now in its 40th year of operation as a pioneering non-diet program to help women who struggle with overeating and weight. Marsha’s mission at Green Mountain has been to help participants learn to enjoy food and eating while successfully managing their weight and health. An accomplished writer, she has produced a body of work that reflects her desire to help women move away from restrictive notions of food and health, and thereby more easily achieve a healthful intake. www.fitwoman.com

Kiva Leatherman

Meadow Linn

I’ve been very busy this past year. Friends have gotten married, filed for divorced, and had babies, and I’ve hardly noticed. Unfortunately, my dog has become a bit pudgy from lack of exercise and my garden is more weed-ridden than I would like. This is because I’ve been writing a book while at the same time trying to juggle everything else.

Sometimes my head spins out of control when I see my “to do” list, and all I want to do is crawl back into bed. However, remarkably I’ve remained pretty sane, as well as happy and joyful, throughout much of these intense 18 or so months.

I owe this, in large part, to the fact that I rarely let myself get so busy that I skip a meal. Even when there’s an incessant pinging of incoming e-mails, the phone is ringing off the hook, and there’s stacks of drafts to edit, as much as possible I make time to sit down and treat myself to a delicious dinner. For some, the best form of self-care is a luxurious bath and for others it’s a solitary walk in nature, but for me, it’s a good meal.

People often tell me that they don’t cook for themselves, only for friends and family. But, why should delicious, homemade meals just be reserved for others? I believe in the power of nourishing ourselves with the same love and care that we give to others.

It doesn’t have to take a lot of time to feed both your spiritual and physical appetites with a satisfying meal. Often I make a large batch of soup, curry, stew, or whatever it is, and then eat it for a few days, which cuts down on prep time. Not only are these meals tasty, but also they’re infused with my love and intention, which is more nurturing than anything I could purchase and eat on the fly. And when I’m really short on time,
I might just eat a salad, fried eggs, or a sandwich, but I still make a point of arranging them artfully on a plate and sitting down to eat. For me, beauty, in addition to taste, is an important component of eating well.

I believe living well and eating well should be tasty and fun. By savoring the little moments in our lives, including the foods we eat, our lives will be more enriched. As a result, we’ll be healthier, happier, and more balanced. Believe it or not, when we slow down and take the time to relish each delicious bite, our mood improves, our body better metabolizes our food, and we’re more open to hearing the whispers of our soul. Here’s to
living deliciously!

While cooking professionally, Meadow began to see the powerful connection between not just what we eat, but also how we eat and how we feel. Having watched countless people transform their lives simply by making mealtimes fun and delicious, she decided to devote herself to learning about and teaching how we can savor life more fully.

While getting her master’s degree at Columbia University, Meadow studied the history and sociology of eating in France. She writes a blog filled with delicious recipes (www.savortheday.com) and is the co-author of Quest. Her latest book, The Mystic Cookbook: The Secret Alchemy of Food, written with her mother Denise Linn, will be released in late November. Look for it wherever books are sold.

To learn more about becoming a Mystic Chef, visit www.MeadowLinn.com

Rachel MacDonald

The thing I adore about that first moment in the morning when you open your eyes is that the day is yours for the taking.

I’m an early riser so I wake at 5:15am every weekday, and my first act of loving self-care is to set conscious intentions for how I want my day to unfold. Doing this has seriously changed my life – instilling a deep sense of peace in my heart while simultaneously giving me a strong sense of purpose for my day ahead.

When I choose a guiding word for the day like ‘joy,’ ‘completion,’ ‘electric’ or ‘ease,’ I focus in on the way I want to feel – the kind of energy I desire, and the kind of energy I want to send out into the world.

In those first delicious moments of the day, before I head outside to move my body and before I dive into my work, I love taking pause to get shiny-diamond clear on the things I’m manifesting. I see myself there, grateful, content. My life is filled with beauty and blessings when the words THANK YOU punctuate the beginning and end of every day.

Rachel MacDonald (nee Magahy) is a soul-centred writer, social media maven and wildly enthusiastic community builder. Her life’s mission is to help bright sparks create and live bigger, bolder, richer, more radiant lives.

Her site In Spaces Between has become the go-to for juicy inspiration, confidence building, fear fighting and mindset shifting. A visit to the site has been likened to a big ol’ hit of happiness. Straight to the soul.

Rachel has just released her first eBook More Magic, All the Time: 20 Ways to Create Your Best Life Ever, which you can get your hands on for FREE by clicking here: http://inspacesbetween.com/round-ups-resources/the-ebook-has-landed-make-magic-all-the-time-
20-ways-to-create-your-best-life-ever/

Website: www.inspacesbetween.com

Twitter: @rachelmagahy

Facebook: www.facebook.com/inspacesbetween

Cindy Morrison

Theresa Reed

Most people learn this about me sooner or later: my life revolves around food. I think of food, I dream of food, I love nothing more than creating healthy and luxurious dishes for my family every day. And I’m a stickler for freshness so I go to the market every day.

In the morning, I grab my husband and we head out for daily errands. (And yes, we do this in all kinds of inclement weather. We’re hardy folks.) We visit the local coffee shop first and chat with our favorite baristas. And then we walk down to our most trusted grocery, which is a small family owned business, and start scheming for dinner.

We know all the butchers, deli people and produce managers by name so we are always able to get great stuff – plus we love developing friendships with people in our community.

While this morning ritual may not sound like much, it deeply nourishes me. The morning walk with my husband is a way for us to connect in a small way each day. We have a strong relationship and this simple morning jaunt around our neighborhood refreshes us physically and emotionally – I’d like to think that these little moments are sacred and a way to continue to build upon the loving journey that we have been on together.

At the same time, we are also forming positive and friendly relationships in our community. The simple act of saying hello and getting to know the people around me not only makes me feel happy and connected but it also reminds me that I am part of a bigger whole. We’re all in this together and we need each other. How beautiful is that realization? That interconnectedness with my spouse and my community is priceless to me.

Theresa Reed (alias: The Tarot Lady) is an intuitive Tarot reader, astrologist & yogi with over twenty years of professional experience. She’s devoted to helping people make better decisions & lead happier lives — using Tarot as an instigational tool for confident, bold & emotionally-intelligent action — in life, in love & in business. When she’s not thumbing through her favorite deck or lip-syncing to gangsta rap, you can find Theresa chilling around her virtual ‘hood at TheTarotLady.com and on Twitter at @thetarotlady.

Deborah Weber

I believe we are all beautiful containers of light, and that we are infinitely loved, infinitely resourced, and whole, and our job is to remember that.

When I think about myself I sometimes laughingly call myself a spiritual detective. I walk through my life noticing things, paying attention to signs, to symbols, to emotions, to dreams, to poetry. Signs of support. Webs of connection. The Language of Spirit. I take notice of the cycles and rhythms of everything that constantly remind us we’re all part of the continuing flow.

When I came across Mary Oliver’s poem Instructions for Living a Life, it took my breath away. She so succinctly defined how I try to live each day. “Pay Attention. Be Astonished. Tell about It.”

So I keep my eyes, my ears and my heart open. And one of my favorite ways to enter into this space is with my daily gratitude practice. Whether writing in a journal or reciting in my heart or aloud, the act of appreciation and gratitude places me firmly in the joy stream. And this is where magic happens. Gratitude places you in the joy of the moment, but it also opens the door to welcoming more. It literally feels like dancing on an infinity loop!

The invitation gets extended again and deepened. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.

Because I believe we are meant to anchor as much of our Divinity into the physical as we possibly can, into the here and now of our daily life, this invitation feels like the perfect guiding light to staying present. Not falling into the past or trying to slip into the future, but being here now. Blessings and beauty abound and I’m committed to welcoming, receiving, and loving as much as I am able.

Deborah Weber is an intuitive, a reader of the Akashic Records, a channeler of the angelic realms, and a Joy Guide. She channels The Sacred Rose Council, who bring forward messages of love, joy and unity consciousness and offer energy infusions filled with the tangible vibrations of love and support. It is Deborah’s mission to empower people by helping them understand the bigness of who they truly are; help them find and use the gifts they came here to express with; and remind them of the divine love and support always available, so that every person can always stand fully in their joy. She is also a flower essence practitioner and aromatherapist, and finds these are wonderful tools for supporting, shifting and uplifting energy. Her website is Temenos of the Blessing Light