I developed Creative Mindfulness as a form of self-healing.

I was a teacher for 26 years. Six years ago, I came down with Lyme Disease. My entire identity was being a teacher and a mother. Now, who was I

I knew deep inside that I was more than what I did (teacher, mother). I knew I was more than how I served others. I knew I had truths hidden inside that were just beyond my reach because i was so BUSY.

I was on output for so many years. I was on what I call the treadmill of insanity- work, cooking dinner, homework with child, homework as a teacher, taking care of family & home, collapse into bed & do it all over again.

Treadmill, treadmill, treadmill no time to  think no time to feel. I ignored my body for so long that it had to scream at me to get my attention.

Then I was forced to stop and it was very uncomfortable but a little part of me knew that there was something more and I had to find it.

Then Lyme inhabited my brain and caused seizure activity. I lost the use of my hands for a time, and I dug deep- to get my hands back and infuse some calm into my vibrating body and anxious mind, I picked up a pen and drew circle upon circle upon circle until the circles became my art you see above.

I was combining creativity with mindfulness. My body, mind and spirit were calmed. I called it Creative Mindfulness. It was a form of meditation. It helped me in so many ways:

• Made my body feel calm
• Stopped pinball machine mind-when my thoughts were scattered
• Made the world and my situation go away for a time (I call that flow)
• Calmed my nervous system down
• Made the feel-good chemicals to flow. Watch my video on the benefits meditation here.
• Actually reduced the body pain I was feeling
• Allowed me control of my hands began to return
• And the magic: I started to have insights into what I wanted for myself

My Lifestorm was Lyme disease, maybe in your case it’s:

• living through this crazy pandemic that were in right
• An illness
• the end of a relationship
• a death in the family
• the loss of a job
• anything that makes your life feel derailed
• Anything that makes you lose connection to yourself
• Anything that makes you think there’s something missing

The step- by step process of Creative Mindfulness has many benefits:

Step 1: Meditation- Turns off that make lists brain area that makes lists, grocery lists, things to do. Your mind says: I should paint this room. I have to organize this. I have to remember to do this. Meditation stops all of that and [link to meditation blog post]

Step 2: Questioning- Because your brain is calm you after the meditation, you can go deep into your unconscious-that little part of yourself that knows and you can’t quite put your finger on it but it knows the answer.

Step 3: Finding Answers- You end up knowing things that you don’t remember knowing, making connections, finding Ah-has saying: That’s what it is! That’s what I need to do! That’s what I want for myself!

Step 4: Creating- I walk you through a very simple art piece. You don’t have to be artistic-not like art to be displayed (although it can be). All the ideas that have come from the meditation, come pouring out onto the paper- hidden gems of truth about what you want for yourself.

Step 5: Integrating & Living-. Your path is much more clear. You have practical steps that you can take into your life to make it the life you want to be living,

Benefits of Creative Mindfulness:

• You are happier
• you’re more grounded
• you can make decisions that are right for you.
• You can trust yourself not to lose your s**t in the morning when the teenagers kids come down and drive you crazy on the way to school!
• You can trust that you’ll handle your emotions and not REACT to other people.
• You are to think before you speak.
• You realize that you deserve to say NO to things that don’t match your truth without feeling guilty that you’re disappointing people.
• It is a treasure trove of deep truths that gets uncovered through that step by step Creative Mindfulness process.
• You are more calm
• You are more grounded
• You take time to honour my body and my energy.
• You have found that pot of gold at the end of your rainbow after your LifeStorm

Before Creative Mindfulness you feel:

Heavy, tired, dragged down , like you’re walking in a fog.

Your energy is being drained and given away- to your job, to your family, to other people but not to yourself

Unclear about what you want for yourself. You just know that the life you are living does not feel right.

Unclear about the direction you want your life to take or even what your next step is.

Experiencing frustrating situations and experiences where you know you are not being treated as you feel you deserve.

Job feels unfulfilling.

Perhaps some relationship issues- you care for other people much more than you feel cared for

The need to prove you are worthy of love (the disease to please)

Like you are making life choices to feel better (changing jobs, moving homes, ending relationships), but the feeling better doesn’t last

Indecisive- trouble making decisions day to day

Overwhelmed by life

Unsure of what you need and want to feel better

After Creative Mindfulness you feel:

A sense of clarity about what you want and deserve.

You are able to prioritize yourself without feeling guilty

Energized

Your attention and energy are balanced- you take care of the people and things you need to take care of, but you also care for yourself first- imagine that!

You can see a clear path and steps to take to live the life you want to be living

Confident in the decisions that you make

People treat you kindly, they seem to have more respect for you

A sense of purpose

That you can speak up for yourself and your needs

A sense of knowing that you are lovable just as you are

Grounded, happy, fulfilled, calm

Rested!

Grateful!

A sense of Inner Peace